Nebraska For Us holds second Lincoln community coffee event

Local coalition leads community discussion on rising costs and affordability challenges

LINCOLN, Nebraska (July 23, 2026)—As prices for gas, groceries, health insurance, and more keep going up, Nebraska For Us hosted its second Lincoln-based community coffee gathering at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso Thursday. We met with concerned neighbors to discuss affordability challenges and what can be done to support one another during tough financial times.

“As the months have gone by, it feels like more people in our community than ever are paying attention to the consequences and challenges associated with the state of our current economy,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “Today’s discussion was no different as we heard from a variety of voices on issues like health care, SNAP, the price of groceries, and the overall cost of living.”

This week, Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services released new data that shows SNAP enrollment has fallen by nearly 17% since the July 2025 passage of the Republican Tax Law. From May to June of this year, it fell by about 4.5%.

In 2025, Nebraska Congressmen Don Bacon and Mike Flood voted in favor of those massive cuts to SNAP along with Medicaid, while also allowing crushing tariffs to remain in effect for far too long. At the same time, the war in Iran has caused gas prices to rebound. These changes, along with other rising costs, have created the perfect storm for economic pain.

Nebraska For Us used the gathering to allow community members from the Lincoln area to meet in person and share their experiences. We continue to call on our state’s federal delegation to bring down high costs and provide much needed relief.