According to Feeding America, 5.5 million seniors (1 in 14) and 3.8 million adults aged 50-59 (1 in 11) are food insecure.
As the senior population grows, so does the number of senior citizens who struggle with food insecurity. In a recent study of senior hunger, 8.5% of seniors in Texas are at risk for hunger. These seniors must make difficult decisions, like whether to pay for food or medication, and often face challenges to food access due to mobility or transportation. Hunger can have serious effects on a senior’s health as it may worsen symptoms of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Brazos Valley Food Bank’s (BVFB) Senior Outreach Program (SOP) partners with programs such as Meals on Wheels, home health companies, and low-income senior housing properties across the Brazos Valley to ensure that the most at-risk seniors in the Brazos Valley have nourishment on evenings and weekends when they may be going without food. Seniors who are part of this program receive a weekly bag of food filled with nutritionally balanced, easy-to-prepare items to supplement the meals they may receive from their meal delivery program during the week.
Senior Outreach Partners across the Brazos Valley
Brazos: Meals on Wheels, LULAC, Highland Villas, Clara Mounce Library
Burleson: Meals on Wheels
Grimes: Meals on Wheels, Grimes Health Resource Center
Madison: Madison Health Resource Center
Robertson: Meals on Wheels, Community Resource Center, Bremond SOP
Washington: Washington County Healthy Living Association
Testimonial
Anita Reyes, a vibrant 75-year-old, is immensely grateful for the Senior Outreach Program's invaluable support. Living on a fixed income presents challenges, but thanks to this program, Anita feels a profound impact on her daily life.
Each week, Anita eagerly anticipates the arrival of her bag filled with nutritious items. From the little oatmeal packets to a variety of healthy options, she appreciates the thoughtfulness behind each selection. In a life marked by challenges such as surgeries on both knees and the loss of her beloved husband, Santana, the Senior Outreach Program provides essential support.
With two sons, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren scattered across the country, Anita finds solace in the community that rallies around her. Despite facing health concerns and financial strains, she remains resilient, finding joy in simple pleasures like watching cooking and crafting channels on TV.
Anita's journey reflects a lifetime of hard work, from cleaning houses to pursuing a career in nursing alongside her husband's work in heavy equipment and trucking. Now, as she navigates her golden years, the Senior Outreach Program offers a sense of security, ensuring she has access to healthy food options when money is tight.
Ways to get involved with Senior Outreach Program
To get Senior Bags delivered, food items first have to be sorted and packed by our dedicated volunteers.
Each Senior Bag contains approximately 17 items, including a variety of nutritional, non-perishable, and no-to-low preparation foods. While the exact contents of each Senior Bag may vary, the structure of the bags is roughly the same each week.
1 serving of oatmeal, 2 juices, 1 serving of cereal, 2 milks, 2 fruits, 2 vegetables, 1 nutritional shake, 2 proteins, 1 pudding, 2 easy-to-prepare meals, like soup or Easy Mac n Cheese
Click here to learn more about how you, your family, and friends can volunteer with the Senior Outreach program.
As a Senior Outreach Partner Site, you will work alongside BVFB to help address senior hunger in your community.
Each Senior Outreach Partner Site:
- Identifies seniors who could benefit most from receiving a Senior Bag, and delivers Senior Bags to those identified seniors
- Safely stores Senior Bags until delivered to seniors
- Report each month, telling us about the population served through the Senior Outreach Program
We know that the Senior Bag program doesn’t reach all the low-income seniors who could benefit from the program. We are looking to learn more about programs serving seniors in the Brazos Valley, and how we can work together to ensure that seniors have the nutrition they need to stay healthy.
If you would like more information on becoming a Senior Outreach Partner Site, contact Winter Terral – Special Programs Manager at WinterT@bvfb.org or (979) 779-3663 ext. 113.
BVFB's Senior Outreach Program in the News
Senior outreach program helping elderly in the Brazos Valley (KBTX)
Clara B. Mounce Library partners with Brazos Valley Food Bank backpack and senior bag programs (KBTX)