Community Needs Assessment - Food Insecurity in Lancaster County, Nebraska

This paper describes a community needs assessment done on food insecurity in Lancaster County, Nebraska. The purpose of this community needs assessment was to determine the prevalence of food insecurity as well as analyze the major causes for why there is an increasing trend in Lancaster County. This was done by exploring contextual or underlying social, environmental, socioeconomic, political and cultural factors that may play a role in food security status. The two main objectives of the needs assessment were (1) to describe the prevalence, existing disparities, and causes of food insecurity in Lancaster County, and (2) to provide a closer look at the underlying causes and contributors of food insecurity in Lancaster County. The objectives were reached by collecting both primary and secondary data. Secondary data from federal and state agencies as well as nonprofits was used to identify and compare trends both nationally and locally. Primary data was collected by interviewing key informants in the community who could give insight into the target population. It was found that the main determinants of food insecurity in Lancaster County ranged from issues in legislation and policy to lack of accessibility in the community. Key groups at risk such as college students and rural communities were also identified