A small business of her own. A chance to coach sports. A college degree. These are just a few of the American Dreams of Nebraskans profiled in “Opportunity: Points of View” a new photography exhibit supported by Nebraska Appleseed. The exhibit reflects the stories of hardworking Nebraskans who have overcome life obstacles, ranging from a […]
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Nebraskans will lose if efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act succeed. Today the House of Representatives will hold a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Yet, the vote takes place at a time when less than 25% of people support total repeal and majority want to leave the law as is or do
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$16.39 per hour. That’s what it takes to “make ends meet” for a single parent with a preschooler in Omaha. It’s $15.38 in Lincoln, and $11.66 in Scottsbluff. These numbers are just a few examples of the wages needed by families in Nebraska based on the newly released “Self-Sufficiency Standard for Nebraska 2010” released by
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This week, the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 was signed into law. The bill is a win for children’s health and well-being in Nebraska and nationwide. Watching the bill become a law in a signing ceremony that was (appropriately) held at Harriet Tubman Elementary School, I was proud of the work that Nebraskans
Jobs: they’re what’s on everyone’s mind as we work to build economic recovery. What job opportunities are available in Nebraska? What jobs are “good jobs”? What jobs have growth potential? What jobs pay wages that support families? Our “Nebraska Appleseed’s Top Jobs for Families in 2010: Jobs that Contribute to Economic Recovery and Family Success“
There was more proof last week that the health reform law is helping just as it was intended. One of the goals of the health care law was to provide tax credits to small businesses to help ease the burden of health care costs. It’s working. According to a new survey, the number of small
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In 44% of low-income Nebraska families, neither parent has any post-secondary education. In 2018, 66% of jobs in Nebraska will require post-secondary education. There is a skills gap in our state: too many folks lack high school and post-secondary credentials, and too many jobs require them. This is a problem for workers now, and for
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Best practices for addressing state budget shortfalls have been identified by a group of ten nonprofit organizations today in a report entitled “Smart Choices in Hard Times: Best Practices for State Budgets.” “When budgets are tight, families are counting on smart budget choices that protect what matters most. We have to look at the budget
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It’s a new month: October. Fall is officially here bringing with it crisp cool weather and Halloween. But for many Nebraska families, the turn of the calendar page means much more. Public benefits programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) and Aid to Dependent Children (cash welfare) “kick in” at midnight
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In spite of poverty rates that show Nebraska faring better than the rest of the nation, data show thousands more Nebraskans are low-income, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009“. One in ten Nebraskans (9.9%) faced poverty in 2009. This is