March 10, 2008

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) says 35 million Americans going hungry, senior citizens are ‘disproportionately affected’

One out of every nine senior citizens in America is going hungry, according to testimony last week at a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which was called by the ranking member, Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR). Smith said 35 million Americans are going hungry and senior citizens are “disproportionately affected.”

A major reason for the hearing was to showcase the release of findings by the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) Foundation, which quantifies the problems and causes of hunger that seniors face and how these trends will continue into the future as our society ages.

“Hunger is a disease that is affecting our country, but unlike other diseases we have a cure for hunger today. Because of Senator Smith's leadership on this issue, we now have a national forum to present these findings,” said Enid Borden, President and CEO of MOWAA.

Key findings included: 

   ● In 2005, over five million seniors, 11.4% of all seniors, experienced some form of food insecurity (i.e., are marginally food insecure).
>> Of these, about 2.5 million are at-risk of hunger (i.e. are food insecure), and about 750,000 actually experienced hunger (i.e., very low food security) due to financial constraints. 

   ● Seniors are more likely to be at-risk of hunger if they are ages 60 to 65, poor, African-American or Hispanic, divorced or separated, living with a grandchild and/or renters. 

   ● In 2025, an estimated 9.3 million senior Americans will experience some form of food insecurity, almost double the number in 2005. 

   ● In 2025, an estimated 3.7 million senior Americans will be at-risk of hunger. 

   ● In 2025, almost one million senior Americans will suffer from hunger. 
“Federal programs like the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Elderly Nutrition Program, as well as non-profit organizations such as Meals on Wheels, make a huge impact by delivering food directly to seniors in their own homes,” said Committee Chair Herb Kohl (D-WI), in an opening statement that also thanked Sen. Smith for chairing the hearing. 

“The Food Stamp program is another valuable federal program, although estimates show that it is under-utilized: only one in three eligible seniors actually enroll in the food stamp program. In spite of the fact that these programs and services cover only a fraction of the low-income seniors who need them, we continue to face a yearly battle with the administration to provide these programs with adequate funding,” Kohl added.

Kohl said as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, he is working to increase federal funding for older Americans through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides “a modest box of grocery staples” every month to 440,000 low-income elderly Americans.

Sen. Smith, the committee’s Ranking Member, is also co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus.

Smith reported he is working with Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) to ensure that seniors have better access to the nutrition programs in the Older Americans Act. 

The two senators also are working with Appropriators to raise funding levels for the congregate and home-delivered meals programs as well as programs that help seniors remain in their home as they age. 

Senators Smith and Lincoln reported they were successful in seeing a small increase in funding for these programs last year, but, after many years of stagnant funding, they hope to bring funding levels on par with need. 

“In my home state of Oregon, more than one in 10 people experience difficulty in purchasing food each year,” Smith said. 

“Unfortunately, seniors are disproportionately affected due to their increased vulnerability and lack of connection to their communities. We need to do more to ensure our most vulnerable citizens are lifted from the threat of hunger and are able to thrive as healthy individuals.”

The hearing, “Seniors Going Hungry in America: A Call to Action and Warning for the Future,” was held last Wednesday in Washington.