Volunteers Fighting Senior Hunger in Kentucky

Kentucky has the fourth highest rate of food insecurity among older adults in the U.S., according to the latest "State of Senior Hunger" data from Feeding America. AARP Jenny Wiley Chapter President John Rosenberg and local Chapter members joined AARP Kentucky volunteer state president Charlotte Whittaker and state director Troy Broussard deliver a $2,000 donation to God’s Pantry Food Bank-East in Prestonsburg.

The study finds that 6.9% of Kentucky seniors and 14.6% of adults aged 50 to 59 lack regular access to enough food or had to make tradeoffs between food and other basic needs. Only Arkansas, Delaware and Oklahoma were found to have higher rates of elder food insecurity. Kentucky ranks seventh in the nation for older Kentuckians on the brink of food insecurity, the study found.

God’s Pantry Food Bank-East received a $2,000 donation during Hunger Month from AARP Kentucky to help serve those in need across the state’s Fifth Congressional District which has the highest food insecurity rate of all Kentucky congressional districts. “We’re grateful to bring this contribution today and support God’s Pantry Food Bank-East. We know $2,000 is only a fraction of what’s needed every day to help serve those in need across Floyd County,” said Charlotte Whittaker.

Every dollar donated provides eight meals for hungry seniors and other Kentuckians in need. God’s Pantry Food Bank-East needs more than $100,000 annually to meet the needs of programs battling food insecurity in its region. AARP Kentucky is excited to again donate funding to help those who are hungry now while we all search out long-term, sustainable answers to hunger’s root causes.

Senior poverty in Kentucky impacts for vulnerable, low-income older adults who pay in the form of poor health and high medical expenses. 63 percent of low-income seniors choose to pay for food instead of medical care. New AARP research shows while prescription drug prices continue skyrocketing, Americans are being forced to choose between filling life-saving medications or paying rent and buying food.

Learn more about the fight against hunger in Kentucky with God’s Pantry Food Bank https://godspantry.org.