City Sprouts is involved in a new community-wide plan that will address the needs of the nearly 101,000 people in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Healthy Food for All – A Food Security Plan for Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie Counties is a collaborative effort by more than 70 public, private and nonprofit groups to address both short- and long-term community food security needs.
“There are people in every corner of the metro who struggle with food insecurity,” said Mariel Harding, United Way of the Midlands’ director of community impact. “We need to work together to make sure no one goes hungry and that everyone has the fuel they need to be productive and healthy members of our community.”
About one in eight Americans are food insecure, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That includes 40 million adults and 12 million children.
The USDA defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Food insecurity can contribute to major health problems and make it tough for people to focus at work or school.