Last checked November 7, 2026 CST.
Start with the problem you need to solve: food now, school meals, an application, or a utility bill. Nebraska and Iowa have separate programs. A program page being online does not guarantee that funds, enrollment or a seasonal application window are available today.
Food and school meals
Nebraska SNAP
DHHS says a family must meet tests including resource and income tests. Its SNAP page is the place to read current eligibility updates and application instructions. We do not calculate benefits or determine eligibility.
Nebraska WIC
Nebraska WIC provides healthy food at no cost, breastfeeding support, nutrition information and referrals. Use the agency’s Eligibility & How to Apply section to check who can participate and find local help.
Food support for adults 60 and over: CSFP
DHHS says you could be eligible if you are 60 years and over. Its Commodity Supplemental Food Program page explains documentation and lists the agencies that determine eligibility. Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership is listed for Douglas and Sarpy counties, at 402-453-5656. Age alone is not an approval.
Summer EBT: 2026 application period closed
Status note only. DHHS states that the 2026 application closed August 12, 2026. Applications received after that date will be reviewed for Summer EBT 2027. This is not an open-2026 application promotion.
Council Bluffs and Iowa food assistance
Iowa HHS’s food-assistance hub links SNAP, emergency food assistance and school and summer food programs. Council Bluffs readers should use Iowa’s official requirements and application paths, not Nebraska’s rules. A link to a seasonal program does not mean its application period is open.
Omaha Public Schools meals
OPS Nutrition Services links the Free and Reduced Meal Application, CEP Schools, NSLP Schools, menus and meal-price information. Follow the section appropriate to your school; this guide does not state income limits or imply that all students have the same meal arrangement. Nutrition Services lists 531-299-0230.
Find a pantry or get application help
Food Bank for the Heartland’s map can be searched by ZIP code. Open a location for its details and recheck before traveling, since distributions can change or be canceled for weather. Its SNAP/Food Resource Hotline lists Nebraska 1-855-444-5556 and Iowa 1-855-944-3663. The page points to 211 for additional non-food resources.
Utility help
If disconnection is a concern, use the utility and agency contact routes now. A charity walk in March is not an application for help with today’s bill.
Nebraska LIHEAP: heating and cooling assistance
DHHS describes help offsetting heating and cooling costs. Its current notice says automatic heating payments for eligible households will be issued when federal funds are received. If you have a shut-off notice or are in danger of receiving one from your heating provider, the agency says to call 800-383-4278. Specific services have their own requirements.
OPPD Energy Assistance Program (EAP)
OPPD lists partner-agency applications and a phone route through United Way. To locate an agency by ZIP code, use the official agency finder or call 888-650-9132. OPPD says callers can use 2-1-1 to apply for funding by phone. Consult the full program requirements; this guide does not promise an award.
OPPD Customer Assistance Program (CAP)
OPPD describes CAP as a pilot providing a monthly bill credit, subject to program requirements and continued on-time payments. Enrollment is limited: the page says no more customers will be accepted once the pilot reaches 3,000. That is a cap, not confirmation of an available place today. Official application routes include Dollar Energy Fund online and 888-282-6816 by phone.
OPPD Get Assistance: compare the paths
The utility’s Get Assistance hub collects EAP, CAP, LIHEAP, payment plans and energy-efficiency assistance. Use it to see the distinct paths rather than assuming that one application covers every program. Program eligibility and funding still apply.
M.U.D. Home Fund
M.U.D. says the first step for utility-bill help is the Nebraska Energy Assistance Program. Its page lists the ACCESSNebraska route and 402-595-1258 for the Omaha area. Home Fund applications go through a partner agency: the agency finder hotline is 1-888-650-9132, or call 2-1-1 to apply by phone through United Way of the Midlands. Funds are limited and deposited monthly. Read the complete eligibility and documentation sections or ask the partner agency to determine eligibility; this guide does not substitute a shortened checklist.
Before you apply
Read the agency’s current eligibility and documentation instructions and use its own application channel. Assistance may depend on funding, household circumstances and service territory. Benefit amounts and income limits are deliberately not reproduced here. If you are uncertain which route fits, ask the listed agency or utility rather than assuming a link is an eligibility decision.
Sources and program terms can change. Use the linked official pages for current information.