Good nutrition can lead to a better quality of life for older adults
Bozeman, MT– Kathy is a 76-year-old independent woman. She owns her home and car, but she struggles to pay the bills and afford nutritious food each week. As a result, she lost 25 pounds in the last year. Luckily, she found help before her health suffered. A community organization helped Kathy apply for and receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Kathy quickly regained 10 pounds and feels better than she has in years.
There are many reasons older adults apply for SNAP: eating better, health, family, and financial security. Using SNAP to pay for nutritious food can make a huge impact on an older adult’s ability to manage a chronic condition and stay independent. During Hunger Action Month in September, HRDC Senior Programs and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) encourage older adults and their caregivers to see if SNAP could help them.
Three in five eligible seniors do not participate in SNAP. While several factors contribute to the low participation rate, lack of understanding about the program is a significant barrier.
“For many older adults, mobility, technology, and the stigma attached to applying for SNAP create obstacles,” said Lura Barber, Director of NCOA Hunger Initiatives. “Talking to your loved ones and the older adults in your community about SNAP could inspire them and put us well on our way to eradicating senior hunger.”
HRDC is part of NCOA’s national Senior SNAP Enrollment Initiative, which is working to find and enroll more eligible seniors into SNAP. Based on this work, NCOA has developed a Seniors & SNAP Best Practices Handbook that outlines effective enrollment strategies. The handbook is available to download at ncoa.org/SNAPHandbook.
HRDC works to provide each and every senior with wrap-around services that enable them to remain self-sufficient in their own homes and be engaged with the community. “For someone that is on a limited fixed income, as many seniors are, the SNAP benefits meant the difference between going hungry and food security,” states Dana Mitchell, HRDC Senior Programs Coordinator.
To get personal, one-on-one help applying for SNAP, please contact HRDC Senior Programs staff: Dana Mitchell at 600-6269 (Gallatin County) or Mary Beebe at 333-2883 or 333-2537 (Park County).
About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a respected national leader and trusted partner to help people aged 60+ meet the challenges of aging. Our mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling. Through innovative community programs and services, online help, and advocacy, NCOA is partnering with nonprofit organizations, government, and business to improve the health and economic security of 10 million older adults by 2020. Learn more at ncoa.org and @NCOAging.
About Human Resource Development Council, District IX
The Human Resource Development Council of District IX, Inc. (HRDC) is a private, not-for-profit community action agency dedicated to building a better community and advancing the quality of people’s lives. HRDC was established in 1975 and serves Gallatin, Park, and Meagher Counties in Southwestern Montana. We work to achieve this by developing resources, talent and capital, to help people of all ages and situations confront and overcome obstacles so that they can improve their lives. We focus on seven strategic challenges and operate multiple programs to address these pressing human needs. We serve our community in these seven areas: Emergency Food and Nutrition, Housing services from emergency shelter to homeownership, Early Child Care and Education and Youth Development, Senior Independence and Empowerment, Community Transportation, Home Heating, Efficiency, and Safety, and Community and Economic Development Activities. Through our programs, we foster sustainable results through practical, comprehensive approaches to social and economic challenges.
In 2014, HRDC impacted the lives of 13,004 customers using 38 programs in our seven focus areas. Some of our highlights include 330,568 rides given on our fare-free Streamline bus service, and 23,812 senior and paratransit rides on Galavan. Our KidsPack weekend nutrition program ensured 800 students showed up full and ready to learn on Mondays. We created 4 new Summer Lunch program sites which provided 13,252 meals, and served 51,322 meals at our Community Café. Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program helped 371 households receive $480,244 in returns. Of course, we did this with the help of our community: 3,903 volunteers provided a staggering 114,616 hours of service for the betterment of their communities.
Learn more at www.thehrdc.org
