The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Organizations work to end senior citizen hunger
Many senior citizens living on limited incomes struggle with food insecurity, say spokespersons for the aging.
Lorain County organizations have put a focus on helping senior citizens who are seeking assistance with food.
Many senior citizens, who aren’t fortunate to live on large retirement checks, are struggling with food insecurities or transportation issues, said Lauren Burges, executive director of Lorain County Office on Aging.
Food and security are issues for older adults ages of 60 and older, Burges said.
“Some of the issues (older adults) deal with are food insecurity, which is having a lack of money or resources that can provide them with food, and not being able to travel to obtain a meal whether it be a store, or food pantries,” she said. “This leaves senior citizens not being able to get the food they need.”
Ohio is ranked 12th in the nation and first in the Midwest for food insecurities, Burges said.
Although the state needs improvement, county organizations are providing more resources to close the gap, she said.
The agencies include Neighborhood Alliance of Oberlin, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, United Way of Greater Lorain County and Oberlin Community Services.
Burges said local churches and volunteers also donate their time to help.
Office on Aging provides 105 free meals a day to seniors living in cities and about 16 meals to those living in townships, she said.
It also offers a senior box program and deliver foods to residents with mobility issues.
The Office on Aging provides meal sites to restaurants like Blue Sky in Amherst and Elyria, where seniors use vouchers to pay for their meals about 12 times a month.
“Through our services, (seniors) are not charged,” Burges said. “Our programs are funded through federal grants.”
She said rural cities are harder for older adults to receive help because there are fewer services near the southern part of the county.
With growing assistance from Neighborhood Alliance of Oberlin and Oberlin Community Services, their efforts have helped, Burges said.
“We want to get the food to (southern areas) and sometimes that’s easier,” Burges said of Oberlin Services.
Alicia Foss, CEO of Neighborhood Alliance, said her agency has two programs to assist senior citizens.
One program offers cold, frozen and hot meals delivered four days a week by five food trucks, Foss said.
Between 350 and 360 meals, with dietary requirements, are served, she said.
This program has a waiting list, but the agency offers an emergency food program where meals are delivered for those in dire need.
Another service offered is the new food pantry at the Oberlin Senior Center, which opened in October.
Foss said the pantry addresses seniors, but also serves the community with meals and services.
Susan Bartosch, director of external affairs at Second Harvest, said it provides food distribution services to the community, which 13 percent are seniors.
Every month, Second Harvest distributes meals to seniors who qualify and live on a certain level of poverty through its Senior Boxes initiative.
This level includes seniors ages 60 or older, who live off of no more than $16,000 annually.
Second Harvest provides over 1,200 boxes per month with 40-50 nutritional food items in each box.
It also provide meals to seniors through the mobile food pantry, where meals are distributed in different areas in the county, or pantries at local schools.
“Seniors are the fastest growing demographic in food insecurities, and we’re seeing more seniors who need more help,” Bartosch said. “These seniors are dealing with retirement and health issues or raising great-grandchildren while trying to focus on food and other bills. It’s hard to make ends meet dealing with those situations.”
Christine Matusik-Plas, community impact director of United Way of Lorain County, said it offers a popular program called 211, which can be used by calling 211 or through a phone application.
It’s a 24/7 service national service used to find food resources.
If a senior is unable to travel, it is possible for food to be brought to them, Matusik-Plas said.
The service collects 1,800 calls a month and doubles the number through its phone application, she said.