Almost one in ten Nebraskans receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, but that could change in the new year.

If a 2021 expansion of income eligibility put in place during the pandemic is allowed to "sunset" in 2023, many fewer households and individuals will qualify for SNAP.

Tina Rockenbach - executive director for Community Action of Nebraska - said some believe since many jobs lost when COVID was at its peak have come back, there should be less need for food assistance, but that isn't what her staff has been seeing.

"Around that same time is when this inflationary economy hit, right?" said Rockenbach. "And it's still continuing to hit, and it's still continuing to hit. With the way rent has gone up, the way utility costs have gone up, gas, food at the grocery store, people are just struggling to make ends meet."

If allowed to "sunset," the state income eligibility requirements will return to 130% of federal poverty guidelines from the current 165%.

That means a family of three, who can now qualify with an income of roughly $38,000, could not earn more than $29,000 annually.

On the national level, by September of this year, at least 20 states had increased their SNAP eligibility to 200% of federal poverty guidelines, allowing a family of three earning up to $46,000 annually to qualify.

Seventy-two percent of Nebraska SNAP recipients last year were families with children, and 30% included an older adult or a person with disabilities.

Rockenbach said one of the common misperceptions about people who receive SNAP benefits is that it's a way of life for them.

"They are to help fill the gap so that a person can start finding a job, getting a job," said Rockenbach. "Maybe there's training involved, and they have to take some formal training. And it's to help with that stopgap, to encourage them to keep moving forward, keep setting their goals, and keeping going through that."

Studies have found a correlation between receiving SNAP benefits and better health outcomes such as a lower risk of obesity and increased ability to live independently.

By May of this year, food costs were nearly 12% higher than the year before.

Rockenbach said folks having difficulty affording food should find out if they qualify for SNAP benefits, including retirees.

"Depending on how their retirement is set up or how their incomes are set up, you know, maybe they're only on Social Security," said Rockenbach. "And so, that's a lot of what we're seeing out in the rural area as well. Again, going back to they don't think they're eligible for it, when in fact they very well may be."

Research shows people experiencing food insecurity often suffer from chronic health conditions due to a lack of proper nutrition. Now, a group of Washington food banks is working to change it.

The Washington Food Coalition is collaborating with the American Heart Association-Washington branch, adopting the Association's nutritional guidelines for its local food pantries.

Chantal Brooks, founder and food safety manager for New Day Ministries in Bremerton, said her group's food pantry found many of its patrons come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"What prompted us to implement a nutrition policy is we began to notice that many of the people we serve, especially seniors and families with children, were struggling with health conditions like diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure," Brooks outlined.

Coalition research showed pantries with nutrition policies are better able to communicate with and educate donors, collect feedback from customers about their food preferences, and identify and offer healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.

The Heart Association's guidelines aim to help customers battle conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease by prioritizing fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods.

Elena O'Callaghan, community impact director for the American Heart Association of Washington, said nutrition policies help pantries focus on providing good outcomes.

"Agencies with nutrition policies felt much more confident in being able to define and discuss healthy foods," O'Callaghan observed. "A lot of people who run food pantries may have trouble defining 'What is a healthy food?' and 'How will I know it when I see it?'"

Brooks said her group's food pantry uses the Heart Association's nutrition policy as a guide for what food it purchases and collects.

"It's not necessarily that we will refuse any food," Brooks noted. "It just helps us to focus more on nutrient-dense foods, such as fresh vegetables and fresh fruits and nutrient-dense protein."

As Colorado lawmakers grapple with $1.2 billion in budget cuts, child nutrition advocates are turning to voters to protect funding for the state's Healthy School Meals for All program.

Dr. Sandra Hoyt Stenmark, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado, said when a child has inadequate nutrition, they are more susceptible to acute and chronic illness, and more likely to miss school and fall behind academically and socially.

"We know that malnourishment and stress impair a child's immune function, and worsens chronic diseases such as asthma," Hoyt Stenmark explained.

Healthy School Meals for All serves more than 600,000 meals every school day, regardless of a student's ability to pay. Funding was meant to come from capping tax deductions on people earning $300,000 or more per year but the program's popularity has driven up projected costs. House Bill 1274 would put two measures on November's ballot asking voters to maintain existing funding and ensure long-term stability.

Thai Nguyen, executive director of Kaizen Food Rescue in Denver, said investing in students now will help them be better prepared to land jobs that pay enough to be financially independent as adults. She pointed out for many Colorado kids, the only real meal they get all day is at school.

"It improves students' academics performance," Nguyen emphasized. "Once they have full stomachs, they tend to focus better, score higher on assessments and have fewer behavioral problems."

The ballot measures would also expand the Local Food Purchasing Program, which allows schools to purchase fresh foods directly from Colorado farmers and ranchers.

Roberto Meza, a first generation farmer and CEO of the food distributor Hearty Provisions, believes the program is critical to maintain the viability of independent food producers.

"They have a reliable market for their product," Meza stressed. "That just eases so much stress and uncertainty on the farmer's part. And to know that it's going to feed kids, is just that extra layer of purpose and meaning."


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North Dakota's governor this week signed a bill maintaining state funding for rural communities in dire need of thriving grocery stores.

The state launched a specialized grant program in 2023, setting aside $1 million for smaller communities to share if their local grocery store was in danger of closing its doors, a problem seen in many rural counties.

For example, one small community used its share to match funds for the purchase and reopening of a local convenience store, which added groceries and a restaurant.

Ellen Huber, rural development director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, spoke in support of the new bill extending the grant opportunities.

"Without action, our rural communities are becoming increasingly reliant on distant markets for basic needs and are paying the transportation and fuel costs," Huber pointed out.

Huber told lawmakers since 2014, North Dakota has lost 47 rural grocery stores, leaving only 90 operating around the state. Like the initial funding cycle, the grant program receives $1 million to cover the next two budget years. The bill received overwhelming support in the Legislature but there were some "no" votes as competing rural investment plans surfaced this year.

Just like water, emergency services and health care, Huber argued grocery stores are essential to small-town survival.

"To attract people to live in communities, (those residents) need ready access to healthy, affordable food," Huber emphasized.

Huber and policy experts said shifts in federal law have given bigger chains an edge in buying products in bulk at cheaper prices. It has inspired efforts in parts of North Dakota to establish local grocery store co-ops, where a handful of smaller shops buy items in bulk together.


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