The economic crash of 2008 has had many lasting consequences, but perhaps one of the most alarming is the steady increase in the number of American seniors who go hungry each day.
Nearly 4 million older Americans experience food insecurity daily, according to a recently released analysis by the Christian advocacy organization Bread for the World.
Though federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) have helped slow the increase in hunger among older adults, the study suggests that without intervention the number of hungry seniors could increase by 50 percent in the coming years.
Increase in hunger
In Alabama more than 1 in 5 seniors are at risk for hunger, the third highest rate in the country. The national average is 15.2 percent, according to the 2013 annual report of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger. Those living in states in the South and Southwest, those who are racial or ethnic minorities and those who are ages 60–69 face the greatest likelihood of food insecurity. However, the majority of seniors facing the threat of hunger are white with incomes above the poverty line, according to the report.
According to Neal Morrison, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Senior Services, Alabama historically has a high poverty rate, but he attributes some of the food insecurity among seniors to the recession.
“Alabama has a growing population of people age 65 and older and a lot of seniors lost much of their retirement savings when the stock market crashed in 2008,” Morrison said.
According to Morrison, approximately 101,000 Alabamians age 60 and older live at or below the poverty level. Services provided by a network of 365 senior centers throughout the state allow one-third of seniors to receive a daily hot meal during the week at a cost of roughly $3 per meal. The rest, more than 60,000 seniors, often go unreached and unfed.
Many factors are at play when it comes to seniors and hunger. Many seniors refuse to apply for programs like SNAP because they see it as a “handout,” Beckmann said. About 55,000 senior adults in Alabama receive an average of $100 monthly in SNAP benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Programs like the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, a state-administered federal program that provides vouchers that can be used at local farmers markets, help a little but those funds go fast. In 2013, Alabama received $1.62 million for the program. According to the website of the Alabama Farmers Market Authority (fma.alabama.gov), the 2014 program has already reached the maximum number of applicants. Applications for 2015 begin the first week in January.
Baptist ministries around the state are involved in ministries in their communities that serve the hungry, including seniors.
For example, staff and volunteers of the food services ministry at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, serve more than 25,000 meals each year to the homebound. First Baptist Church, Prattville, in Autauga Baptist Association provides volunteers for Meals on Wheels during the month of March each year.
Though not limited to seniors, the North American Mission Board provides $60,000 annually to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions for distribution to hunger relief efforts. Many associational ministries benefit from these funds, including the food ministry of Washington Baptist Association; the Wings of Grace Ministry Center at Forest Lake Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa; and the Cleburne Christian Service Center (CCSC) food ministry.
For both state-funded programs and local ministries, the biggest need is more funds, which is why Morrison encourages donations of money and volunteer hours.
“I firmly believe that if we can get the right partners in place, we can at least stay on top of this problem,” Morrison said.
To learn more about how to help hungry seniors in Alabama, contact Neal Morrison at 334-242-4985.
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