‘Be the village’: Lincoln neighbors helping curb food insecurity on Halloween

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Some Lincoln families are adding something new to their Halloween lineup.

A few people decided to also hand out kid-friendly foods like mac and cheese, protein bars or chips to lend a little support to those who may be struggling this season.

“A great opportunity to help out our little village and be the village, for our community,” Stephanie Roy said.

Valerie Engel posted on Facebook about the trend, hoping to encourage others to do the same.

“Something little like that that we can do to make sure that a kid or even an adult has something to eat for the night or not have to worry about that for one day, then that’s what we want to do,” Engel said.

If the government shutdown goes into November, roughly 42 million recipients could receive less – or no help at all – with their grocery bills.

With delays, changes and so much uncertainty surrounding SNAP benefits, Engel said it’s a way to lend a helping hand while keeping the fun in Halloween.

“Everyone deserves the dignity and a little bit of help sometimes,” she said.

She said this can help with any stigma around food insecurity.

“If there’s a kid that’s hungry and they’re out trick-or-treating, they don’t have to worry about people looking at them,” she said.

Roy is taking part in the trend for another year – placing a basket of candy and a basket of non-perishable foods out on Halloween.

She said because of the times today, there’s a bigger need for this process, but a little bit can go a long way.

“With the government shutdown, it’s so much uncertainty, and if we can provide a meal to a kid and keep their belly full for another day, that little bit will help,” she said. “If a lot of us do it, the more food, the better that we can get in people’s homes.”