LOGAN, Ohio — For many older adults across Southeast Ohio, accessing healthy food is not always simple. Fixed incomes, rising costs, limited transportation, and social isolation can make it difficult to keep a consistent supply of nutritious food at home.
A grant from the Enterprise Mobility Foundation’s Fill Your Tank program is helping the SE Ohio Foodbank strengthen programs designed to ensure seniors in the region can access the food they need to stay healthy and independent.
The funding is helping expand outreach for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and support Meals on Wheels, two programs that connect seniors with nutritious food and regular check-ins from their community.
Through CSFP, eligible seniors receive a monthly box of shelf-stable foods such as grains, canned fruits and vegetables, a block of cheese, and protein items.
Meals on Wheels provides hot meals delivered directly to the homes of seniors who may have difficulty leaving home. Meals on Wheels is made possible through a combination of federal support, local community levies, and private partners like the Enterprise Mobility Foundation, a true example of how communities come together to ensure seniors have the food and support they need.
One senior in Southeast Ohio, Virgie, knows firsthand the difference these programs can make. Living alone at age 93, preparing meals had become increasingly difficult.
“It’s been wonderful,” she shared. “Now I have a hot meal and a food box to help.”
Today, Virgie receives both Meals on Wheels deliveries and monthly groceries through CSFP. But for Virgie, the support means more than just food.
“I love the driver to death,” she said. “I’m 93 years old and now there is someone who cares checking on me.”
“Sometimes the hardest part is simply making sure seniors know these programs exist,” said Karissa, who coordinates the CSFP program for the SE Ohio Foodbank. “When someone enrolls, you can see the relief immediately. It means one less worry each month and a little more stability.”
Nationally, nearly 7 million seniors age 60 and older experience food insecurity, a challenge that has grown in recent years as the cost of food and other essentials continues to rise.
The SE Ohio Foodbank serves a ten-county region of Southeast Ohio, working alongside local food pantries, meal programs, and community partners to ensure food reaches neighbors where they live.
“Support from partners like the Enterprise Mobility Foundation helps us strengthen programs that seniors count on every day,” said Valerie Stillson, Public Relations Coordinator for the SE Ohio Foodbank. “It allows us to reach more older adults, reduce waiting lists, and ensure our neighbors can access the food they need to stay healthy and independent.”
Enterprise Mobility supports hunger relief efforts across the country through its Fill Your Tank program, which provides funding to food banks and hunger-relief organizations working to expand access to food for vulnerable populations, including seniors.
For more information about programs available to seniors in Southeast Ohio, visit hapcap.org/foodforseniors
Leave a Reply