New Video Urges Government Not to Cut Solutions That Help Millions of Seniors

Current Programs Offer a Vital Lifeline to Health and Independence for Older Adults in Need
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire

As Congress debates dramatic cuts to senior programs— including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, Home Delivered Meals and congregate meals — a new video by the One Away campaign for elder economic security urges policymakers to protect and strengthen current programs that provide real solutions for older adults who are struggling financially.

More than 13 million older adults live in or on the edge of poverty, often on less than $22,000 each year. In New York, a million older adults are income eligible for nutrition assistance programs. These seniors have to decide every day whether to pay for food, medicine, or a place to live. They live one bad break, one accident, or one layoff away from economic disaster.

The new video is part of One Away, an advocacy campaign that allows vulnerable and disadvantaged seniors tell their stories of struggle in their own words. The latest video highlights programs that are a lifeline for millions of older adults, including food and nutrition programs – Right now, 5 million seniors are hungry in the United States. Yet proposals in Congress would reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) by $127 billion, and could cut funding for Older Americans Act meals programs, including Meals on Wheels and congregate meals.

In addition to the main video, there are 10 other One Away videos spotlighting older adults across the country who have had to stop taking their medicine, eat less, or live in their car due to financial setbacks. Click on the "Watch Videos" tab to see them all. Visitors also can share their own stories of struggle, send an email to Congress, and discuss solutions to help seniors in need.

A national poll, commissioned by NCOA, indicated that almost two-thirds (63%) of adults aged 18+ said they or an older adult they know is struggling to make ends meet in today's economy. A majority (62%) also knows that one out of three older adults relies on Social Security for over 90% of their income. Find out more at www.oneaway.org/Press.

Hunger Solutions New York has a variety of outreach materials for your use among older adults in your community.

New York State Council on Food Policy Recommends Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015, Passing a Strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill

Today, Governor David A. Paterson received the New York State Council on Food Policy’s annual report and recommendations titled, “Making Connections: Developing a Food System for a Healthier New York State.” Authorized by Executive Order #13, the Council on Food Policy works to preserve and enhance agricultural food production in New York and to ensure that all New Yorkers have adequate access to safe, affordable, fresh and nutritious foods. Some of the significant steps the Council recommends New York State take in 2010 include:

1. Join the campaign to end Childhood Hunger by 2015
2. Support a strong Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act
3. Maximize federal funding for nutrition and food programs operating in New York.

Click here for the full press release on the Council's report.

For a copy of the Council on Food Policy’s annual report and all of its recommendations, please visit http://www.nyscfp.org and click on “Report to Governor”.

To learn more about the Council on Food Policy, visit http://www.nyscfp.org or contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518-485-7728.

Congress Should Expand Federal Nutrition Programs: New York Times Op-Ed

Hunger in the United States

New York Times Editorial, November 18, 2009

Congress should make a priority of expanding federal nutrition programs that are aimed at helping millions of struggling families feed their children. The need to bolster these programs was underscored again this week in a dismaying Department of Agriculture study showing that a record number of households had trouble getting sufficient food at one time or another last year.

These facts are troubling enough, but a separate federal study showed that even before the recession began, more than two-thirds of families with children who were defined as “food insecure” under federal guidelines contained one or more full-time worker. This suggests that millions of Americans were trapped in low-wage jobs before the downturn that made it more difficult for them to provide children with adequate nutrition.

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