AARP Foundation Gives Grant to Food Bank of Delaware

MEDIA ADVISORY

Wilmington, DE, April 11, 2013 - AARP Foundation will present $5,000 to the Food Bank of Delaware in support of their efforts to alleviate and eliminate hunger among Delawareans. The grant is part of Drive to End Hunger, AARP Foundation’s multi-year national effort to raise awareness and funds to help end hunger among people age 50+ in America.

 In the last decade, the number of senior adults at risk of going hungry has increased 79 percent nationwide – a total of nearly nine million Americans age 50 years and older. Since AARP and AARP Foundation launched Drive to End Hunger, the initiative has donated more than 16.4 million meals and driven corporate and individual donor commitments with an expected value of more than $19.9 million.

 In Delaware, hunger issues have increased at unprecedented rates. Nearly five percent of older residents in the First State are threatened by hunger. Many make the weekly decision between food, medicines, or paying utility bills. 1 in 4 Delawareans utilize Food Bank of Delaware’s network of emergency food assistance.

 The check presentation will take place during the Ending Hunger! Conference, a program of the Anti-Hunger Coalition, on which AARP has a seat.

  WHO:             AARP Delaware and Food Bank of Delaware

  WHERE:        Christiana Hilton, Newark

  WHEN:          Monday, April 15, 2013,  11:00 a.m.

  MEDIA:          Kimberly Iapalucci, 302-290-4701

  About AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people, strengthen communities, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.

  About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment security and retirement planning. We advocate for consumers in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a bilingual news source.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.