18
SOLVING HUNGER AND IMPROVING NUTRITION IN MARYLAND: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
Reaching Senior Citizens in Need
While hunger is often viewed
primarily as a problem affecting
low-income families with children,
another group disproportionately
likely to be under-nourished is the
elderly.
In fact, nearly one in five low-
income Maryland seniors struggles
with hunger, giving the state the eighth
highest rate of food insecurity among the
low-income elderly in our nation.
A major reason why is that nearly three
of every four Maryland seniors who
may be eligible for FSP benefits are not
participating, according to Maryland
Hunger Solutions estimates. That is
due to many causes, including a lack of
information about the program, problems
with transportation, and other barriers.
To overcome these hurdles and enroll as
many eligible senior citizens as possible,
Maryland Hunger Solutions has forged
new, collaborative partnerships with:
•
AARP Maryland
, to reach its huge
membership in the state. Collaborations
include the Tele-Town Hall noted on
page 14, disaster relief work, and annual
outreach events such as the Baltimore
County Baby Boomer Expo which
enable Maryland Hunger Solutions to
provide thousands with information on
applying for FSP benefits.
•
Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland
,
to reach lower-income senior citizens
who may be eligible for the FSP but
who are not yet receiving benefits.
Maryland Hunger Solutions partnered
with Meals on Wheels to deliver a
mailing to all clients informing them of
potential FSP eligibility, and initiated
a collaborative referral system so that
all Meals on Wheels clients will be
screened for FSP eligibility at intake
and referred to Maryland Hunger
Solutions for application assistance.
Finally, it also provides informational
materials on FSP to all of the agency’s
clients.
•
Baltimore City Health Department’s
Office of Aging & CARE Services
,
to participate in the 2013 “Waxter
Wisdom” workshop series at the
Waxter Senior Center in Baltimore
City by presenting a workshop and
conducting outreach. During these
monthly workshops, Maryland Hunger
Solutions will provide information
on senior hunger, healthy eating for
seniors on a low-cost budget, and
information on FSP. It also will provide
FSP application assistance with the
goal of reaching hundreds of seniors in
need.
“Maryland Hunger Solutions is
performing an essential public service
in reaching out to older Marylanders
experiencing or at risk of hunger
and connecting them with the
benefits they need. We are proud to
be a partner in this vital effort.”
—
HANK GREENBERG
,
STATE DIRECTOR
, AARP
MARYLAND
“In the aftermath of SuperStorm
Sandy, Maryland Hunger Solutions led
advocacy efforts to bring Disaster
SNAP to the residents of Somerset
County. We are truly grateful for
their advocacy, resources, expertise
and compassion. Maryland Hunger
Solutions’ commitment to serving
communities in need is commendable.”
—
DOUG TAYLOR,
SOMERSET COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
