Food Insecurity
Problem Statement
1 in 10 Lancaster County residents- and 1 in 5 children- are food insecure. Unstable wages, rising costs, and a weakening safety net—along with barriers like transportation, work-hour conflicts, and language access—are pushing more families to the edge. As federal funding decreases and rules become more restrictive, food insecurity is quickly growing.
Faith and Food Insecurity Summit
Across Lancaster County faith communities are active in providing resources to the food insecure, running food pantries, food distributions, and filling weekend “backpacks” for local schools. Forty-two people participated in small group conversations at the Faith and Food Insecurity Summit hosted by Justice in Action on January 8, 2026. Each group was asked to provide a synthesis of common themes found in their conversation and to identify potential next steps. Across the summit conversations, several consistent themes emerged: faith communities are often a first point of contact for people experiencing food insecurity, demand for assistance is increasing or at least remaining persistently high, and most responses rely heavily on volunteer capacity, donated food, and partnerships with the Food Bank, FoodNet, and a patchwork of other agencies.
Read the Faith and Food Insecurity Summit report here.
Proposed Solution
We propose that the City of Lincoln dedicate senior staff capacity and financial resources to urgently implement strategies from the Food Research & Action Center City Playbook—leveraging the City’s unique role to expand access to food and reduce barriers for those most vulnerable. This work would build on existing City plans, including the Local Food System Plan and Poverty Elimination Plan, and be carried out in partnership with community-based food providers, local businesses, and philanthropy.