March is national nutrition month and the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) is marking the 50th anniversary of the National Nutrition Program for the Elderly (NPE), established in 1972. The national program established grants to provide congregate and home delivered meals to older adults who need nutrition support. To date, NYSOFA and the network of aging services professionals and volunteers have provided over one billion meals to more than 10 million older adults in New York. To learn more, visit https://aging.ny.gov/march-meals.
NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen said, “NYSOFA is proud of the vital work rendered by local agencies on aging and community partners to reach this important milestone in meeting the nutritional needs of older adults. New York’s nutrition program has been a lifeline for millions of older adults since its inception and especially so during the past two years of the pandemic. In that time, the demand for food delivery – and the network’s response to that demand – has increased significantly in meeting older New Yorkers’ essential nutritional needs.”
“The public health importance of accessible, nutritious food cannot be overstated – and New York delivers,” Olsen added. “Local meal programs, and the nutrition they provide, are fighting hunger, helping to manage chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, preventing the risk of falls, providing nutrition counseling and education, meeting numerous other physical and mental health needs, and fulfilling the highest dietary standards as required by federal law.”
Association on Aging in New York Executive Director Becky Preve said, “The nutrition program delivered by aging services providers is a lifeline for older adults and their families. The ability to provide nutritious meals and a daily safety check are many times the reason older individuals are able to age in place.”
Nutrition programs available to older adults
Local nutrition services are available statewide to individuals aged 60 and over. These include congregate meals at community dining sites or home-delivered meals for individuals who are unable to shop, prepare meals, and don’t have assistance to shop and prepare meals for themselves. Anyone over 60 can access congregate meals, and those needing a meal at home have to meet eligibility criteria.
Income-based assistance is also available for older adults, including help paying for food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, which provides coupons to buy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers’ markets.
To access any of these programs, contact your local Office for the Aging using NYSOFA’s directory at https://aging.ny.gov/local-offices, or call the NY Connects hotline at 1-800-342-9871. Further program background and application information is available on NYSOFA’s nutrition assistance page, https://aging.ny.gov/programs/food-and-meals.
Volunteers needed
Local offices for the aging also rely on volunteers to help support locally administered nutrition programs. Contact your local office for the aging about volunteer opportunities, including meal preparation, meal delivery, or assistance at a congregate meal site in your community.
“Local offices for the aging and their partners provide over 20 million meals annually to more than 245,000 older adults,” Olsen said. “These programs succeed through a partnership of federal, state, and community resources, including the kindness of everyday New Yorkers who help prepare, serve, and deliver meals. Please consider donating your time and make a difference by volunteering today.”
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