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May 19, 2024 |  By: Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

Largest NE food bank challenged by rising food insecurity, costs

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By Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

A new report shows food insecurity in Nebraska increased in 2022 over the year before. Feeding America's latest "Map the Meal Gap" survey showed the number of Nebraskans who experienced food insecurity rose from 10% to almost 14%.

For Nebraska children, the picture was even bleaker, increasing from 12% to more than 19%.

This comes as no surprise to those at Food Bank for the Heartland, where they have been dealing with rising demand and rising costs for quite some time.

Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of marketing and communications for the food bank, said although the report reflects 2022 data, there is no sign yet of a decline in the need for food assistance.

"We are talking to our network partners who are telling us that they're seeing more people in line than ever, even since the height of the pandemic," Sullivan explained. "They are seeing more first-timers in line; people who never thought they would need food assistance."

The report showed food insecurity percentages for every county in the country. In Nebraska, Sarpy County's 11% was the lowest in the state, and Thurston County's nearly 18% was the highest.

Sullivan emphasized Food Bank for the Heartland is advocating for "a clean and strong Farm Bill with no cut to key nutrition programs." The bill needs to include access to food assistance, she added, pointing out that for every meal provided by a food bank in the Feeding America network, SNAP can provide nine meals.

"That makes it one of the most effective and efficient tools in our fight against hunger," Sullivan asserted. "The public support of these programs and their inclusion in the Farm Bill is critical to alleviating hunger."

Food Bank for the Heartland has been responding to a huge increase in demand since 2019, starting with the flooding and not long after, the pandemic. However, Sullivan acknowledged donations have not kept pace since the pandemic ended.

"When we are dealing with a greater need on top of elevated prices in all aspects of our operations, we are not meeting the need," Sullivan stressed. "We need community support now more than ever, because we've never seen food insecurity levels this high."

With its 555 partners, Food Bank for the Heartland serves 77 of Nebraska's 93 counties and 16 counties in western Iowa. This is the second-largest service area among Feeding America's 200 food banks. In fiscal year 2023, its distribution fleet drove more than 300,000 miles, delivering more than 22 million meals.