Too many seniors face hunger
After a lifetime of hard work, 5.2 million seniors face hunger in America. Many older adults make impossible choices like paying for groceries or medical care. Seniors shouldn’t spend their golden years worrying about making ends meet. No one cares until someone cares; be that one! ― Ken Poirot
Facts about senior hunger in America
- In the United States, 5.3 million seniors face hunger. That’s 1 in 14 seniors.
- 63% of seniors visiting food banks say they have to choose between food and medical care.
- Hunger takes a serious toll on seniors’ health – putting them at risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure and mental health issues like depression.
- Millions of seniors qualify for monthly grocery assistance through SNAP, but only 48% receive SNAP benefits.
- Some seniors are more likely to face hunger, including seniors who identify as Black, Native American, or a person of color and seniors who live in rural areas where grocery stores and transportation aren’t accessible. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/senior-hunger-
Defining Senior Hunger
The Journals of Nutrition defines food insecurity as having “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.”
In other words, being food insecure means not having access to the necessary foods and nutrients needed to sustain a healthy lifestyle. A food insecure senior may have enough food to keep them full, but the food they have may not be up to recommended nutritional and dietary standards.
Being food insecure doesn’t necessarily mean that an older adult is facing hunger, but it does mean that the treat of hunger is real.
Many seniors may also face a food hardship, which is a term used to describe a situation in which an older adult cuts down the size of meals, skips meals outright or buys less nutritious foods because of a lack of sufficient funds.
TOGETHER, WE CAN DELIVER HOPE FOR THOSE IN NEED
Senior Care Program on June 26th from 11am – 1pm- Help Hope 1 Ministries get food and personal care items to seniors who are struggling. This will be a walk-up event with social distancing practices in place. We are in need of peanut butter, reduced sodium canned goods, canned soup, toilet paper, and soap. But we are grateful for all donations of non-perishable food and personal care items!
Drop off address: 4605 North Armenia Avenue Suite #A Tampa, Florida 33604. If you have any questions, contact us at hope14me@yahoo.com or 813-857-4846.
HELPING TO FEED OUR SENIORS IN THEIR GOLDEN YEARS. hOPE 1 mINISTRIES IS COMMITTED TO HELPING OUR SENIOR POPULATION.
PLEASE GIVE NUTRITIOUSLY
Hope I Ministries encourage you to give from the heart and for the heart by donating healthy nutritious food. Nutritious food help people feel full longer and maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Please consider donating healthful non-perishable food that can be used to make multiple meals. All Donations will go to JL Young Apartments for Senior Living. https://hope14me.org/give/
WAYS TO GIVE & VOLUNTEER
Ways to give: Give online – HOPE4ME (wordpress.com)
Donation list: https://hope14me.org/hope-1-ministries-donations-and-supply-list/
Do you want to help pack and distribute food? Volunteer with us! Simply sign up at https://hope14me.wordpress.com/volunteer/
hope14me.org 