A growing number of minority kids are growing up in poverty in Nebraska, according to the latest report on children in the state. Agencies in Omaha have already seen some trends and are helping working families fill in the gaps.

Statistics come from the latest Kids Count Report and as the authors point out, poverty is one of those things that can affect nearly every aspect of a child's life.

As a receptionist, Yulice Andrews job doesn't appear to be too tough. "I get all the phone calls that come in and I can make sure they get directed to the proper individual."

What she finds hard to do is stretch her paycheck. "I have just enough to support me and my family, to take care of all of my bills and to put food on the table and clothes on our back."

Andrews, like so many thousands of African-American parents according to the Nebraska Voices for Children, is walking a financial tightrope.

Higher prices on everything from groceries to gas are having a domino effect on working class families in the state. So much so that the Omaha Food Bank stepped in to meet a need teachers observed from disruptive students.

"They were getting in trouble stealing food out of the lunchroom, out of kids' lockers and then light bulbs went off and they figured out, oh my gosh, they're stealing food to take home over the weekend," says the food bank’s Jewel Knapp.

The food pantry now sends hundreds of students home with a backpack full of food to last through the weekend, no questions asked.

Helping families keep food on the table isn't the only way the community is filling a void. They're also helping the uninsured and the underinsured families that may fall in that category.

At the Charles Drew Health Center on 29th and Grant, doctors see about 12,000 working class or low-income families. "We provide health maintenance and we talk to them about prevention and we provide treatment, so we're keeping them from going to the emergency room," says Dr. Richard Brown.

And they do it at an affordable cost. The minimum payment for the doctor visit based on income is $15, $50 is the maximum..

It’s something Yulice Andrews knew nothing about, but is happy to know. "If I get sick, I just have to doctor on myself."

In order to qualify for doctor visits at the Charles Drew Health Center, parents must show proof of income. As for the Food Bank, they estimate that they serve 650 children locally thru the Weekend Backpack Program. Realistically, the need could be 10 times that amount.