CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A new study shows that millions of senior citizens across the country are struggling to find food.
A report from Chicago-based non-profit Feeding America shows 5.5 million older Americans are skipping meals or going an entire day without eating.
Eastern Iowa food reservoir HACAP, or the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, says it’s an invisible crisis that’s getting overlooked because the older generation is too prideful to talk about it.
HACAP says there are seniors living on a fixed income, so they sacrifice food to pay for things like housing and medicine.
HACAP said one way to help solve this issue is to increase funding for the SNAP program, to help the elderly buy more food. They say food insecurity hits harder in rural areas.
That’s why they have their senior totes program. It’s a program that lets seniors in those areas get food on the weekends. But they say they don’t get enough funding for it.
HACAP says if the food insecurity issue isn’t addressed soon, the number of seniors struggling to find meals could grow to 8 million by 2050.
“The increasing amount of baby boomers that are retiring and going into the senior population, there’s an increasing need,” said Kim Guardado, the food reservoir director with HACAP. “So we really need to do more than ever to meet that need as we move forward.”
HACAP is encouraging the younger generation to get involved. Check in with their grandparents, volunteer at a local pantry, or make monetary donations. Click here for more information on HACAP.
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