April 11, 2013

On Tuesday, The Oregonian published a story about the crisis of nutrition and hunger among older adults in our community.

Nancy Haught wrote that “Older Americans are a particularly vulnerable and growing group when it comes to buying and eating nutritious food.”  Millions of households that include older adults in this country struggle with food insecurity. Food insecurity means lacking consistent access to nutritious food.

Older adults often lack consistent access to nutritious food. Many older adults are living on a fixed income and cannot afford to fill up their grocery carts – so they end up buying food that is filling, but not necessarily nutritious. 

Older adults may not know about support systems in place like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Meals on Wheels, and the Oregon Food Bank. Others may think the application process for SNAP is too difficult, or that they might be taking resources from other Americans who need assistance more.

Thank you, Nancy, for your informative and eye-opening story on this important issue.

To learn about SNAP benefits, call the Oregon Safety Net at 1(800)-723-3638 or

call 2-1-1 to connect with 211Info to find resources in your area. 

Want to help older adults in our community? Sign up to volunteer with programs like Meals on Wheels or the Oregon Food Bank.

A nutrition safety net for seniors

Nancy Haught in The Oregonian

photo courtesy of The Oregonian