Half of Potentially Eligible Seniors in NY Facing Hunger Not Receiving Aid; AARP Set to Release Plan to Close the Gap

MEDIA ADVISORY

Half of Potentially Eligible Seniors in NY Facing Hunger Not Receiving Aid; AARP Set to Release Plan to Close the Gap

 Assoc. Joins Local Leaders to Release New Recommendations on Barriers Facing Food Insecure 50+ in NY and What to Do About it

 WHAT:   With an estimated 50 percent of eligible seniors in New York State not receiving a valuable food assistance benefit, AARP New York will gather with local leaders for a news conference on Friday, September 27 in Buffalo to release new recommendations from its latest white paper on how to break down the biggest barriers to ending hunger among 50+ New Yorkers.  AARP will also discuss the loss to the local economy of having Erie County residents go hungry.

  WHEN:

Friday, September 27, 2013

10:30 am

  WHERE:

Hispanics United of Buffalo

254 Virginia Street

Buffalo, NY 14201
 

WHO:

Bruce Boissonnault, Member, AARP New York Executive Council

Michael Weiner, President, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County

Randy Hoak, Commissioner, Erie County Senior Services

State Senator Tim Kennedy (tentative)

Why:     In the Buffalo metropolitan area, 13.8 percent of residents struggle with hunger, while statewide, one in every four New Yorkers age 60 and older who is living at home is considered nutritionally at risk.  Participation rates for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) among seniors in the state remains low, even as the 50+ population struggles to recover from the recession and faces a weak job market.  The impact of low SNAP participation rates in the area also affects the health of the local economy, as every $5 spent in SNAP benefits adds $9 to the economy.

 Often on fixed incomes, many low-income older adults have to make the difficult choice between paying for medications and housing costs or putting food on the table.  The SNAP benefit is one of the most effective means of easing hunger among 50+, yet many New Yorkers face barriers in accessing the benefit.  AARP New York and the AARP Foundation convened a statewide summit in 2012 to identify the barriers and identify solutions, which are detailed in the white paper.                                 

  Contacts:  Chaunda Ball, (917) 859-0029, cball@aarp.org; Erik Kriss, (518) 360-9213, ekriss@aarp.org

 

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