Anti-hunger nonprofit Feeding America expects food insecurity to nearly double in Nebraska over the next six months.

Currently, there are an estimated 223,000 food insecure Nebraskans, and the anticipated 45% increase would represent another 100,000 people struggling with hunger during the pandemic.

Scott Young, executive director of the Food Bank of Lincoln, said the need is growing in both rural and urban communities. For example, Food Bank for the Heartland ran out of supplies at a drive-through event in Grand Island.

 One of our challenges now is that resources are going down as need is going up,” Young said. “Grocery stores, where we typically pick up product, are making use of everything.”

Food takes four to six weeks to reach food banks, Young said, as they compete with the grocery stores.

Access to volunteers is another challenge, said Leia Noel, president of Foodnet in Lincoln. Many volunteers are elderly or otherwise in COVID-19 risk groups.

“We fully supported their decision to stay home and stay safe,” Noel said. “We’ve adjusted to having fewer sites and a smaller number of volunteers.”

Noel encourages Nebraskans to take care of those in their social circles by picking up and delivering food for neighbors, family and friends who are homebound.

The best way to help, Young said, is to make a cash donation at lincolnfoodbank.org in Lincoln or foodbankheartland.org in Omaha.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts encouraged everyone to support their communities’ food pantries.

“Food banks also play an important role in serving vulnerable communities,” Ricketts said. “Let’s make sure our families can continue to access the food they need during this pandemic.”