Governor Pete Ricketts joined members with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor to unveil a new, major initiative for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, or commonly known as food stamps.

Courtney Phillips is the CEO for the Department of Health and Human Services and says they teamed with the Department of Labor to improve the lives of residents in the form of jobs to reduce or eliminate the need for SNAP benefits completely.

The pilot program started in Grand Island where the agencies worked with 27 families. Fourteen of them found new jobs with higher wages, benefits and stable hours. They continue to work with the thirteen remaining families on those goals. The program started July 1st in Hastings, will expand to Columbus in September, in Norfolk in May of 2018 and then to the rest of the state.