9% of seniors in North carolina face the threat of hunger.
GROCERY BAGS FOR SENIORS
Grocery Bags for Seniors supplements the fixed income of older adults through door-to-door distribution of fresh produce and groceries.
Food Shuttle volunteers pack 2,000 grocery bags a month with fresh produce and groceries and deliver them to numerous senior housing communities. When it comes to getting enough good food to eat, seniors face unique challenges: lack of access to transportation, functional limitations, and health problems.
WHAT’S IN A BAG?
Grocery bags include fresh produce such as potatoes, onions, broccoli, and bell peppers, whole grains, milk, and shelf-stable foods like protein shakes, canned tuna/chicken, black beans, and peanut butter, which can provide up to 8 nutritious meals.
Health inserts are placed in each bag containing general nutrition information and promotion of overall well-being for mental and physical health.
Recipe cards are also provided, tailored to the ingredients in each bag.
WHAT WE DO:
Food Shuttle volunteers pack grocery bags full of fruits and vegetables, as well as shelf-stable food options, all fit for a senior diet.
The Food Shuttle then delivers 2,000 bags a month to almost 30 specific, subsidized housing and apartment complexes within Wake and Nash Counties.
FAST FACTS:
63% of senior households served by the Feeding America network are forced to choose between paying for food and paying for medical care.
According to the latest report on senior hunger by Feeding America, 9% of seniors in North Carolina and 9.7% of seniors in Raleigh experienced food insecurity in 2018.
According to The North Carolina State Plan on Aging 2019-2023 report, more than 25,000 senior adults in our service area live in poverty.
Between 2019 and 2039, the 65+ population in our service area will almost double from 267,649 to 529,811, according to the North Carolina County Aging Profiles. As this number grows, the need only increases.
Food insecure seniors are:
233% more likely to experience depression
90% more likely to experience asthma
57% more likely to experience congestive heart failure
32% more likely to experience limitations in activity
19%% more likely to experience high blood pressure
Sources: Feeding America, NC.Gov/NC Dept. of Health & Human Services
Thank you to our Grocery Bags for Seniors Corporate Funders
