SARPY COUNTY, Neb. (KMTV) – Following a story KMTV did with the organization, a national group invited Executive Director Tanya Gifford to the capitol to talk with Nebraska representatives about issues the families are facing.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Decisions made in Washington have a big impact on Sarpy County families, and one national organization wanted their voices to be heard, so they invited Lift Up Sarpy County to Washington to have conversations with policy makers.
For months now, KMTV reporter Greta Goede has been reporting on the mounting number of issues faced by families in Sarpy County, with the increased strain on non-profits.
One of the busiest neighborhood non-profits is Lift Up Sarpy County, the organizations help struggling families get by.
Following one recent report, the National association of Evangelicals reached out to Executive Director Tanya Gifford and invited her to washington to advocate for Sarpy County families.
Gifford met with Rep. Do Bacon and Sen. Pete rickets along with their staff to discuss how cuts to snap and along with the ongoing affordable housing crisis is hurting people back home.
“Thay was my story back to the senator and the congressman that yes we have a duty has a church or we have a duty as a nonprofit to fill in those gaps but you don't understand the costs related to the rent or the costs related to the food insecurity we are experiencing at this point and the burden that is putting on us,” Gifford said. “We can't keep up with capacity of these needs.”
According to Gifford, they're making a difference, but can’t fix things alone, especially as more and more people move to Sarpy.
“It’s time we come around the table and start sharing this information and getting people on board to work in prevention, getting people on board to work with homeless prevention instead of waiting until we have a crisis,” she said.
These meetings were a step in the right direction to starting discussions about changes that need to made in Sarpy County, Gifford said.
