Jazmyn Ball, Community Engagement Specialist at Fulfill
By Jazmyn Ball, Community Engagement Specialist at Fulfill
Can you imagine worrying about where your next meal or snack is coming from during your “golden years?” Many seniors struggle to balance bills, medical costs and other expenses while having enough money left over to buy healthy food.
New Jersey has 1.5 million senior citizens, and an estimated 14%, or 230,000, of them, are facing hunger, according to Hunger Free New Jersey. In a larger picture, 5.2 million seniors face hunger in America.
Feeding America estimates that 657,320 people of all ages in New Jersey face hunger. The New Jersey Department of Health estimates that 137,520 of those people live in Monmouth (48,120), Ocean (58,910) and Mercer (30,490) counties.
Food insecurity refers to “the USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods,” according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
One agency working to combat hunger is Fulfill, which has locations in Neptune and Toms River, in addition to numerous programs that help patrons address problems that lead to food insecurity.
Throughout 2022, Fulfill served 2,761 seniors through its Senior Staples program, plus more through its Neptune warehouse, BEAT Center and People’s Pantry in Toms River and mobile pantries.
The Senior Staples program is designed to help vulnerable seniors focus on other basic needs rather than food by providing healthy choices on a monthly basis. The food packages are designed to supplement nutrients lacking in their diets to avoid further health issues.
For one month, the boxes currently contain eight assorted canned vegetables, two boxes of cereal, one pasta, one bag of rice, two applesauce containers, one can of pears, three cans of protein (chicken, tuna, beef stew), two boxes of shelf-stable milk, and one container of orange juice. The boxes are consistent with the different food groups, but the exact contents change based on inventory.
Fulfill’s Senior Staples program is a part of the larger Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). CSFP is a federally funded program that serves 619,000 seniors in the U.S. with incomes at or below 130% of the federal poverty line.
Fulfill has 13 Senior Staples sites in Monmouth County and 15 in Ocean County. Through the program, Fulfill served 109 seniors in Monmouth County and 136 in Ocean County in November 2022.
The People’s Pantry in Toms River has seen an increase in seniors. Currently, about 60% of their clients that visit the pantry to get food assistance are seniors, which is more than during the peak of the pandemic.
Many of Fulfill’s partner feeding agencies don’t keep record of demographics like age because it is not required by the state of New Jersey. There are pantries and soup kitchens in most communities to help people access food.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a lifeline for many families. The program is income based and has slightly different eligibility requirements for those over 60 and the disabled. In November 2022, 6,871 seniors participated in SNAP in Monmouth County and 6,814 in Ocean County. Fulfill also has a Resource Connections Team to help with these applications.
Many factors continue to prevent seniors from being on food assistance programs like Senior Staples or SNAP—they come from a generation that is too proud to ask for help or think they won’t qualify. Isolation can also play a role in them getting assistance, especially if a senior needs someone to drive them somewhere to receive food. Many clients at the People’s Pantry are brought by a friend that is persistent enough to help.
Food insecurity can lead to many issues for older Americans.
Malnutrition and unintentional weight loss contribute to progressive decline in health, reduced physical and cognitive functional status, increased utilization of health care services, premature institutionalization, and increased mortality, according to the National Institute of Health.
New Jersey is making strides in addressing food insecurity. The Office of the Food Security Advocate was established in the summer of 2022, with Mark Dinglasan named as director. The office will coordinate the administration of the State’s food insecurity programs, advocate for the food insecure, and develop new policy initiatives to combat hunger and facilitate greater access to food relief programs.