Thread: More seniors going hungry

More seniors going hungry

Updated 1d 10h ago
By Elizabeth Crisp, USA TODAY

JACKSON, Miss. — Addie Mae Payton waits every Thursday for the Meals On Wheels man to bring her lunch.

"It's things like chicken, rice and vegetables that I can heat up in the microwave," says Payton, 85. "You get full off of it, you sure do."

Even with about 5,000 such programs across the country, about one in nine seniors are at risk of hunger because of factors that include poverty and limited mobility, program officials say.

"They're the hidden hungry," says Enid Borden, president and CEO of the Meals On Wheels of America. "It's a national problem with community implications."

The most recent Meals On Wheels study on the issue, conducted in 2009, showed Mississippi had the highest rate of residents 60 to 90 at risk of hunger at 12.3%. South Carolina ranked No. 2 at 9.8%.

The problem has continued to grow since then, Borden says, exacerbated by the nation's economic struggles.

James P. Ziliak, director of the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky and co-author of the Meals On Wheels study, says the rate of senior hunger has been climbing nationally over the past decade, with as many as 5 million seniors facing hunger.

Although programs that address senior hunger also are on the rise, Ziliak says the growth hasn't been enough to compete with the growing need.

An AARP Public Policy Institute analysis of data released last fall showed that between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of poor and near-poor seniors who were hungry more than doubled, from 4.7% to 10.1%.

"Our programs are the answer, but it's a very large problem," Borden says. "We can do better."

Sandra Narron of the Neighborly Care Network of Pinellas County, Fla., which serves about 1,000 seniors knows that firsthand.

"We still have 200 to 300 people on our waiting list," she says. "We just don't have the funds to do it."

Middle-class and hungry in post-recession USA (USATODAY.com in News) http://www.usatoday.com/news/usaedition ... =obnetwork

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/mind-s ... f1473982=1

[quote="AirborneSapper7"]More seniors going hungry

You'll never hear of illegals volunteering their time is helping non-hispanic seniors in our Country! They are too busy feasting on food stamp money that these needy elderly payed taxes for their whole lives! This is beyond discusting!

Many seniors too proud to apply for food stamps and other programs,while
illegals feel no such guilt.

Originally Posted by oldguy

Many seniors too proud to apply for food stamps and other programs,while
illegals feel no such guilt.

Thats right many seniors are to proud the have worked hard all their lives to try and have something later on in life but when hard times hit and they go through what little savings and what little retirement the draw alot are to proud and some feel embarressed to ask for help,thats why it kills me to see reps.trying to do cut backs and some want to do away with medicade medicare these seniors have already paid into it all their working days and people working now still pay into it out of their pay checks,these systems need revamping not destroyed get the illegals and people that is drawing it that has nothing wrong with them thats fraud and it will straighten its self up but to cut seniors or the ones that deserve it is just wrong.Illegals think they are owed it because they are treated so unfair.

you are 100 % right old guy duck man
in every thing you said about the seniors they are Proud
But the Illegal immgrant they are SB
no amnesty