Food insecurity among older adults continues to grow. FeedMore WNY can help.

As the nation’s population of older adults continues to grow, so does the need for food assistance among our aging community members. Last year, FeedMore WNY served more than 197,500 Western New Yorkers – nearly a quarter of whom were older adults. We proud of our feeding, friendship and nutrition education programs that help our aging neighbors live healthy, independent lives. As Older Americans Month comes to a close, we want to share some of the resources FeedMore WNY offers to assist our community’s senior population.

Home-Delivered Meals – FeedMore WNY’s home-delivered meal program provides fresh, nutritious meals each day to the doorsteps of our homebound neighbors and older adults throughout Erie and Niagara counties. Our volunteers provide companionship and well-being checks with each delivery. For many of our clients, their home-delivered meal volunteer may be the only person they see during the day. We believe the friendship component of this service is as critical to our clients’ emotional and mental health as the meals are to their physical health.

SNAP Outreach – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – helps Western New Yorkers purchase healthy food at grocery stores and farmers markets. Individuals with limited incomes or high medical and living expenses may be eligible to receive benefits. Older adults interested in enrolling in SNAP can meet with a member of our SNAP Outreach team to determine eligibility and receive application assistance. To learn more or set up an appointment, contact Lauren Merriman at (716) 822-2005 ext. 3052 or email LMerriman@feedmorewny.org.

Farm Market – FeedMore WNY’s mobile Farm Market trucks offer fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables through convenient stops throughout our community. Many of our Farm Market stops include senior centers! A full list of all of our Farm Market stops can be found on our webpage.

Pantry Locator – FeedMore WNY provides nutritious food to a network of nearly 400 hunger-relief agencies, including food pantries and soup kitchens, throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. Food pantries and soup kitchens are an excellent source of nutritious food for older adults who are facing food insecurity but are not homebound. Visit our pantry locator to find a soup kitchen or food pantry near you.

Volunteer Opportunities – Did you know that the majority of FeedMore WNY’s regular volunteers are older adults? We encourage our aging neighbors and community members of all ages who are able to give back to get involved with our mission. Volunteer opportunities include delivering meals to homebound neighbors, packing and sorting food donations, making Companion Calls to our most vulnerable clients, working in our office and much more. Many of our volunteers say that they feel they receive more benefits from volunteering than the clients themselves! Learn more about our volunteer opportunities.

These are just a few of the many resources FeedMore WNY offers to older adults and community members of all ages. More information can be found throughout our website at feedmorewny.org or by calling us at 716-822-2002.