hunger

Recent federal proposals would add additional barriers to an already underused program, including efforts to require older adults to prove they’re engaging in work activities for a certain number of hours per week or risk losing SNAP after three months

Imagine living alone, being frail or living with a disability, and unable to leave your house without help. Now imagine feeling a hunger pang, opening up your fridge to find it empty, or wondering how you are going to get your next meal.

As the U.S. population ages and SNAP faces the prospect of changes that could affect the future of the program, it becomes all the more important to examine the dynamics around this large segment of SNAP users. AARP Public Policy Institute’s recently released fact sheet takes a closer look at SNAP households with older adults.

En español | I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I believe that food is our most important resource. Next to breathing, eating is one thing we do every day to survive.

En español | Food insecurity is a significant public health problem for older adults. In 2014, nearly 8 percent (3.47 million) of Americans age 65 and older were living in food insecure households, meaning they did not have balanced meals or enough to eat because they could not afford it. According to current estimates, the share of food-insecure older adults will increase 50 percent by 2025.

En español | Shortly after midnight on New Years Eve, the first baby boomer turned 70. Everyday, 10,000 more men and women follow, and this will go on for years to come.

I believe that anything you really want to do you’ll do with love. That way, it resonates with everyone.

En español  | It’s astounding that more than 10 million Americans 50 and older often go hungry. Many live in areas that don’t have easy access to affordable, nutritious food — places called food deserts — where sometimes convenience stores selling beef jerky and chips play the role of supermarkets.

There is a renewed national debate over anti-poverty programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that millions of low-income Americans rely on. The House Agriculture Committee is currently leading an extensive review of SNAP. Recently, AARP President-Elect Eric Schneidewind testified before the Committee on SNAP’s importance to seniors and how it plays a key role in reducing health care costs. Click here to watch the video.

Several months ago my parents and I had breakfast at a neighborhood restaurant in Cleveland. After finishing our meal I asked the server for the check. “It’s already been taken care of,” she said.