Senior food security

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Senior food security Putting healthy food and
relationships within reach for older persons in
Idaho Lorraine Driscoll, AARP, Washington
DC LDriscoll_at_aarp.org October 19, 2010    
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Our goals together today

• Understand older persons hunger

• Learn what others are doing

• Explore how Idaho groups might work together
  to
• -- Engage a broader community to help reduce
  hunger among older persons in Idaho
• -- Build trusting relationships with older
  persons
• Identify next steps for Idaho

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Lets start by celebrating achievements in Idaho
to help reduce hunger

• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• and House Bill 513

• USDA Food Stamp grant application
• Grandparents raising Grandchildren
• 2010 Idaho legislation

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Older persons hunger

• Nationally among people 60, 2.5 million are
  at-risk of food insecurity (Half have income
  above the federal poverty line)

• 2.5 million more are marginally food insecure

• 750,000 suffer from hunger

• Only 32 of seniors eligible for food stamps
  participate

Food insecurity is limited or uncertain
availability of nutritionally adequate and safe
foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire
acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
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Risk factors for hunger in older persons

• age 60-64
• living at or below poverty line
• did not graduate high school
• divorced or separated
• living with a grandchild
• renter

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Three startling facts about Hunger in Idaho

• Idaho has 5.7 rate of food insecurity, among
  older persons is ranked 15th worst in country
• 2. Idaho has 3rd highest rate of growth in
  grandparents raising grandchildren a population
  at higher risk for poverty and hunger. (14,000
  grandchildren)
• 3. Overall, 1/3 of those who qualify for food
  stamps dont receive them. Among older persons,
  2/3 who qualify dont receive food stamps.

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Hunger speeds aging

• Older Americans at risk of hunger have the same
  chance of activities of daily living (ADL)
  limitations as someone 14 years older.

• ADL limitations are associated with loss of
  independence and nursing home admissions

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Leadership to fight hunger among older persons in
Idaho

• Anti-hunger community
• Business community
• Faith-based Organizations
• Aging Network
• 5. State/local governments

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Food distribution programs in Idaho

• Emergency Food Assistance Programs
• TEFAP/commodities (Community Action Partnership
  Assoc/Id)
• Donated food (Idaho Foodbank Second
  Harvest/Spokane)
• Food pantries
• Food Distribution program on Indian Reservations
  (FDPIR)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• Not in Idaho yetState Plan submitted in 2010
• 4. Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Not in Idaho yetState Plan submitted in 2009
  and 2010
• USDA Farmers Market Nutrition Services Incentive
  Program
• HIP Healthy Incentive Pilot
• 6. Volunteer National Service Organizations

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Gaps in hunger supports

• Food Stamps benefit many, but currently are
  underutilized in Idaho (3rd lowest _at_ only 50 of
  eligible)

• Home-delivered meals congregate meals help
  many older persons, but there are waiting lists,
  some dont qualify some have privacy concerns

• Food pantries offer critical emergency help but
  have limited capacity, qualification limits, and
  may lack food appropriate for older persons and
  their special nutrition needs (My Pyramid?)

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Barriers to SNAP enrollment
Two-thirds of older persons who qualify do not
receive food stamps/SNAP. Barriers include

• Not aware I might qualify
• Dont want to share info with stranger or state
• Lack transportation to application center
• Process is cumbersome for a small benefit
• Others need the help more than I do
• Stigma about asking for help
• Cant use benefit, as local stores dont accept
  it
• Think there is a look back on estate
• Fear if eligible and in need will be put
  in nursing home
• Myths 10 benefit, retirement , program will
  run out of

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Turning SNAP barriers around

• BUILD AWARENESS of Food Stamp/SNAP other food
  sources
• EXPAND ACCESS AND FOOD SOURCES including fresh
  food and food appropriate for older persons
• Improve process of accessing/using food stamps
• ENGAGAE OLDER PERSONS others to help solve
  hunger
• build a sense of empowerment
• build trusting relationships
• build comfort in accessing help

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Service as a solution 2 dimensions
Service Expand older persons access to food
with outreach about food stamps, and other
supports

• Engagement Offer interested older persons
  several opportunities to help others, e.g.,
• help enroll children, families, older persons
  in SNAP
• help raise food/share with schools, families,
  older persons
• help become part of informal caring community
  network

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Examples of service efforts nationally to help
stop hunger

• Food stamp outreach in supermarkets community
• Combined food drives/food stamp outreach
• SeniorCorps Area Agencies on Aging programs
• Family to Family
• Community Gardens (Global Refugee
  Gardens/Boise Backyard
• Harvest/Moscow, Taft School Garden)
• Weekend backpacks for students
• Caring Community networks (IL, NY, OH, etc.)
• Glean and share
• Campus Kitchens
• Policy
• United We Serve Feed A Neighbor Initiative
• Greater Chicago food agenda etc.
• More

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Virginia DC examples of broad engagement

• Broad call to action with state leader(s)
• Engagement of service clubs, business
  community, AARP members, AmeriCorps
• Events posted on CreateTheGood.org
• Dozens of simultaneous efforts across state

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New York example
In one week in April..

• AARP NY mobilized 2,600 volunteers, 60 local
  officials, and a myriad of community groups to
  raise visibility of unsafe streets and
  intersections and promote Complete Streets
  legislation using Create The Good resources.

• The effort attracted 100 media stories and new
  Senate
• co-sponsors.

• Two weeks ago, the bill passed the NY Senate
  58-3.

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Research on engaging boomers older persons
in service

• Four in ten boomers older persons want more
  opportunities to help others in their community
• Most want flexible opportunities 57
  volunteer on their own less volunteer with an
  organization.
• The number engaged is growing, but hours are
  dropping.
• Its not enough just to volunteer. Boomers and
  older persons want to help others in meaningful
  ways (results)
• Their skills, interests and experiences differ
  Variety makes it easier to find something
  matching ones passion abilities

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In response to research self-directed toolkits

• More than 2 dozen Do-It-Yourself Toolkits to
  help you help others save money on energy bills,
  prepare for a disaster, manage prescriptions or
  improve their lives in other ways.

• Resources in Spanish at http//compartiresvivir.o
  rg/

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In response to research Empower people to post
events

• Searchable database of 250,000 service
  opportunities.

• The ability to post your own opportunities and
  recruit volunteers.

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Strategies for engaging older persons in service

• Select a powerful cause
• Choose effective strategy to help solve it and
  partners who can contribute assets (e.g., space,
  people, funds)
• Consider self-directed (e.g., toolkits on
  CreateTheGood.org)
• Identify/recruit project organizers in several
  communities
• Post opportunities on CreateTheGood.org
• Ideally, offer a variety of ways to help -- to
  tap a variety of skills, interests, experiences
  and schedules. Include self-directed
  opportunities

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In-depth focus What do groups in Idaho want to
achieve together? Next Steps for Idaho

• For example
• raise awareness
• find/connect/outreach
• policy/program priorities
• other

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