This summer, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it anticipates investing $500 million to improve infrastructure in the meat and poultry industries. In response, Nebraska Appleseed submitted public comments urging the USDA to use these funds to reduce meat processing line speeds and implement ergonomic reforms. Currently, meatpacking facilities operate line speeds known to cause serious injuries,… Read more →
Join us throughout the month of October as we celebrate the honorees of its 2021 Good Apple Awards, Appleseed’s annual fundraiser celebrating community advocates who are building a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Nebraska. The 2021 awardees represent what’s possible when Nebraskans step forward to tackle our toughest problems in the spirit of building community, working collaboratively, and persistently pursuing… Read more →
Nicholas, “Nick” Grandgenett (he/him/his) is the new Staff Attorney with the Immigrants & Communities (ICP) program! Although new to his current position, Nick previously worked as a law clerk for Appleseed’s Child Welfare and ICP teams. His most memorable experience as a law clerk was helping to prepare a workers’ safety bill in the summer of 2020. While living in… Read more →
Join us throughout the month of October as we celebrate the honorees of its 2021 Good Apple Awards, Appleseed’s annual fundraiser celebrating community advocates who are building a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Nebraska. The 2021 awardees represent what’s possible when Nebraskans step forward to tackle our toughest problems in the spirit of building community, working collaboratively, and persistently pursuing… Read more →
Join us throughout the month of October as we celebrate the honorees of its 2021 Good Apple Awards, Appleseed’s annual fundraiser celebrating community advocates who are building a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Nebraska. The 2021 awardees represent what’s possible when Nebraskans step forward to tackle our toughest problems in the spirit of building community, working collaboratively, and persistently pursuing… Read more →
Welcoming communities and places are made possible by people like you! Whether you’re a student, librarian, government worker, or business owner, each of us is empowered to foster more welcoming places at work, in our neighborhoods, and places of gathering where everyone feels like they belong. We hope you can join us for The Fostering Belonging Individually and Structurally series… Read more →
Join us throughout the month of October as we celebrate the honorees of its 2021 Good Apple Awards, Appleseed’s annual fundraiser celebrating community advocates who are building a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Nebraska. The 2021 awardees represent what’s possible when Nebraskans step forward to tackle our toughest problems in the spirit of building community, working collaboratively, and persistently pursuing… Read more →
This is a guest blog by Appleseed’s Economic Justice Intern Jazon Ezell. School meals are a consistent source of healthy and nutritious foods for many students and families. During school breaks, some families struggle with finding access to these options. Emergency food pantries and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are both great resources for Nebraska individuals and families. Statewide… Read more →
In 2010, Nebraska had the highest rate of children in out-of-home placements in the country. Yet, the majority of Nebraska’s reports of alleged child abuse or neglect are due to “physical neglect,” or poverty, rather than abuse, meaning these families need economic supports rather than removal. Non-Court Involved cases are cases where a report of abuse or neglect has been… Read more →
Rómulo “R.J.” Vega (he/him/él) was born and raised in Kearney, Nebraska, before eventually enrolling at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in 2003. It was at UNL where R.J. discovered his passion for serving and connecting with others, beginning with the Mexican-American Student Association (MASA), the Phi Alpha Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, and by working as a student… Read more →
Ruby Méndez López (she/her/hers) joined our Immigrants and Communities Program as a Community Organizer this summer! Ruby has collaborated with Nebraska Appleseed on numerous projects, including being a statewide leader for our Power of Participation Series and most recently as an artist advocate for the Meatpacking Workers coalition. Ruby brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles as a… Read more →
Join us throughout the month of October as we celebrate the honorees of its 2021 Good Apple Awards, Appleseed’s annual fundraiser celebrating community advocates who are building a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Nebraska. Given uncertainties around COVID-19 and the delta variant, we won’t hold our traditional in-person event. Instead, Appleseed will uplift and profile our honorees through social media,… Read more →
Andrew Farias (he/him/his) is our new Weitz Fellow! He will be working closely with the Collective Impact Lincoln and Health Care Access team, as well as managing our volunteer program. His previous work with Carleton College includes implementing initiatives to divert waste from our college landfills, including beginning a campus-wide reusable to-go container program. Through this work with Carleton’s Center… Read more →
Nebraskans sent a clear message when voters approved the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative in November 2018. Nebraskans value keeping our neighbors, family members, and friends healthy. Medicaid expansion was always intended to provide comprehensive health care coverage, and nearly three years after the ballot initiative, it finally will. Starting today, ALL Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid expansion will have access to… Read more →
Neighbors all across Nebraska came together this Welcoming Week – virtually as well as physically – to celebrate, learn together, and take strides in creating communities where everybody can belong. Nebraskans hosted close to 30 events across more than eight communities, joining the growing movement to create more welcoming communities through intentional actions, practices, and policies. Immigrants, refugees, long-time residents,… Read more →
Today, immigrant leaders and advocates across the country are marching to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. to call for positive immigration laws and full inclusion of local community members and family members, including Nebraska Dreamer leader, Joseline Reyna of Grand Island! The action is a community-led effort, made up of participants from across the country, including local organizations like… Read more →
Happy Welcoming Week! It is often said that food is a great connector! The presence of food sets the table for conversation and curiosity — two essential ingredients for building community among people who have different backgrounds and identities. Under the right conditions, food can be a positive entry point for activities and initiatives that unite a community and decrease… Read more →
Local communities must have a say in the decisions being made that affect them. Our vote is our voice and we want all eligible Nebraska voters to participate in the electoral process and vote. This is why we strongly oppose the unnecessary voter restriction amendment introduced last month. A Voter Restriction Amendment has been introduced in Nebraska, placing significant hurdles… Read more →
Fair, nonpartisan, voting district maps are essential to our democracy. Public participation and transparency are an important part of holding elected officials accountable and ensuring our maps facilitate equal representation, by accounting for changes in census data. This is important: The final Congressional and Nebraska Legislature maps will affect how we are represented for the next 10 years! The next… Read more →
Welcoming Week is a chance for neighbors from all backgrounds to come together, get to know one another, and celebrate what unites us as a community. Welcoming Week is here! Events happening near you from September 10th-19th The theme for Welcoming Week this year is “Belonging Begins With Us.” Whether it’s starting a new job, changing schools or neighborhoods, we’ve… Read more →
Schalisha Walker (she/her/hers) joined us this summer as the Program Coordinator with our Child Welfare team! Prior to joining Appleseed, Schalisha served as the Youth Engagement Specialist at Project Everlast Omaha for eight years. She’s worked directly with young people with the foster care and juvenile justice experience to ensure they had the resources and support services they need to… Read more →
Drew Duncan (he/him/his) joined our team as the Development Associate! He will be helping build and strengthen relationships with Appleseed donors and supporters, and help plan our annual fundraising event, the Good Apple Awards. Drew is a board member of Out Nebraska and UNL Friends of Opera. He joins Appleseed with tremendous experience from his previous positions as a Development… Read more →
We have some exciting news to share. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that they will be updating the basic formula they use to calculate SNAP benefits, called the Thrifty Food Plan! This means there will be a 21% increase in SNAP benefits across the nation. The average benefit will rise from about $4.25 per person per… Read more →
This is a guest blog post by Morgan Gurwell, Appleseed’s Food and Nutrition Access Youth Ambassador. What is SNAP? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is the largest federal food assistance program. It supports individuals and families across the country in putting food on the table. There are 42 million people utilizing SNAP benefits nationwide… Read more →
We know that understanding our country’s racial history is a vital step toward ensuring our state is committed to building strong, inclusive communities for all Nebraskans. Which is why we sent a letter in opposition to resolution Addendum VII-1 to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. For years, we have worked closely with community partners and educators across the… Read more →
