Nebraska For Us holds roundtable focusing on navigating rising costs and mental health impact

Local coalition welcomed attendees to North Omaha restaurant to discuss challenges

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 22, 2026)—In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Nebraska For Us held a community discussion in North Omaha Thursday night to discuss the intersection between mental health challenges and the ongoing cost of living crisis made worse by the recent spike in gas prices, tariffs, and other challenges.

“Mental health is not something we often think about when it comes to the challenges surrounding rising costs and growing bills,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “We hope this gathering is the start of a more important conversation about the importance of knowing people are not alone in their struggles as prices keep going up.”

Congressmen Don Bacon and Mike Flood have voted for massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP last year to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while also allowing health care tax credits to expire. All those factors combined with soaring gas and grocery prices have created an untenable environment for people who are living paycheck to paycheck.

As inflation approaches the 4.0% mark, consumers are feeling the squeeze even more. The constant price hikes undoubtedly have created stress on hardworking Nebraskans just trying to get through the day. This event created space for people to share their experiences and engage in important conversations, including hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to key programs.

“The process to qualify for SNAP is so difficult to understand and overly complicated which creates so much stress on the lives of people who need to eat,” Omaha resident Joan Jakoubek said. “People are feeling the burden of higher costs, and the job market is tough for all of us to navigate.”

People shared their frustrations regarding the high cost of health insurance, soaring gas prices and other growing expenses that are creating more and more stress on our everyday lives. Attendees discussed their coping strategies including running, gardening, painting, and much more while working to navigate cost of living challenges.