After retirement, many senior citizens living on a fixed income struggle to make ends meet. According to the Meals on Wheels Association of America, roughly 11 percent of senior citizens in the United States suffer some form of food insecurity, unsure where their next meal will come from or not having adequate resources to provide themselves with plenty of healthy foods. The Older Americans Act of 1965 tries to address the needs of seniors and provide nutritional assistance.
Step 1
Join a congregate meal site. Under the Older Americans Act, hundreds of senior centers nationwide receive funding to provide free meals to qualifying seniors on a daily basis. Some senior day-care centers provide transportation to and from the facility and provide seniors the chance to socialize over a hot meal.
Step 2
Find your local home meal delivery service. If you or your loved one are home bound and unable to join a congregate meal site, contact your local Meals on Wheels program. Meals on Wheels is a social service available to low income seniors. It will deliver one to three meals per day, depending on your needs and qualifications. Some Meals on Wheels recipients may also receive meals for in-home caregivers as well.
Step 3
Participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a government-funded program that provides vouchers to qualifying low-income seniors to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at their local farmers markets. This program not only helps to provide healthy foods to low-income seniors, but also helps to support local farmers and provides economical assistance to the state in which the vouchers are issued by promoting local agriculture. If you or your loved one are home bound and unable to attend the farmers markets, you may designate a friend or relative to shop for you.
