Why hunger in Nebraska?

McCook Daily Gazette: Nebraska has nearly four times as many cattle as people, so it’s ironic that while we have no trouble feeding the cows, one in six people have had trouble feeding themselves in the last year.

That’s the news from a new report released by the Food Research and Action Center, which showed the rate was even worse nationally — one in five respondents.

Nebraska’s highest rate was in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, where 18.8 percent of people experienced food hardship. By congressional district, 14.1 percent in the 1st, 17.9 percent in the 2nd and 14.6 percent in the 3rd reported having trouble buying food for themselves or their family in the past year.

Groups like the Nebraska Appleseed and the FARC are using the data to promote LB543, which would take up a federal option to provide outreach activities for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Legislators have loosened limits to allow people with emergency savings and other resources to qualify if they are low income and meet other requirements.

And there’s much more that can be done.

How about mentoring a younger single parent or mobilizing resources to help needy people improve their lives?