Healthy Foods for Those Needing Assistance

Putting meals on the table is hard for people who don’t have enough cash to buy groceries on a regular basis. Getting the fresh fruits and vegetables they need for good health is even more of a challenge.

With a federal grant plus a contribution from UnitedHealthcare, AARP Foundation is launching a program to encourage Mississippians who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy fresh produce at select Kroger’s stores and farmers markets.

About 22 percent of Mississippi households participated in SNAP in 2014. Among Mississipians age 40-plus, the “food insecurity” rate—that is, the percentage who are at risk of hunger—is nearly 30 percent, the highest in the nation, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

For a list of participating Kroger’s and farmers markets, go to aarp.org/ms.