Helping seniors maintain their dignity and get them the food they need – that’s the idea behind a pilot program Food Finders Food Bank is kicking off next month. Director of Operations Kim Motuliak says a $40,000 grant will allow them to provide food-boxes every month to more than 400 seniors.
She says part of the grant from the AARP Foundation and Feeding America focuses on specific nutrition requirements for those 60 and older.
“Probably one month we’ll provide milk and one month cheese slices and maybe some butter. You know dairy is pretty expensive, so hopefully that will come in handy. In addition to fresh vegetables, the other shelf stable vegetables we’ll try to make low-sodium choices.”
Food Finders is registering seniors through agencies in four area counties. Those are Jenks Senior Center, Pulaski Human Services, Eastwood Place and Jasper County Community Services.
Motuliak says the focus is on seniors, because often they will suffer in silence rather than ask for help. She says a lot of times, they don’t tell family about their needs.
“Or seniors may have to choose between paying for medication or groceries, or they may have to choose less healthy items so that they can cover their other expenses.”
She hopes to help them with more than just the monthly deliveries. The questionnaire seniors will fill out when registering asks about food stamps, whether they have them or would like help applying for them.
Motuliak says nutrition education is part of the grant too, such as providing recipes and tips on cooking for one person.
