Even before March 2020 when the Coronavirus pandemic officially hit the United States, hunger among older adults was on the rise. Feeding America released a report in 2019 which detailed the struggles seniors have in meeting their daily nutrition goals, and the barriers of accessing healthy foods.
Many seniors suffer alone when it comes to not getting enough of the food they need – they are unable to shop due to mobility and transportation issues. And some food that is given to them doesn’t meet their nutritional needs or is difficult to chew and/or digest.
For many years, Fellowship Square has been providing nutritious food and meals to 800+ residents. We receive monthly food donations from the US Department of Agriculture’s Brown Bag program, and many churches and organizations that regularly donate food and meals for our residents. Panera Bread gives weekly donations of bread and pastries, and other local restaurants have been instrumental in donating healthy meals during the pandemic.
The Fellowship Fresh program was created to help us organize food that is donated, so that we can identify gaps in what may be missing from our meals, such as dairy, produce or meats. We have a vastly diverse resident culture – with more than 11 languages spoken across all of Fellowship Square. Tastes and food choices vary from culture to culture as well as within each culture. It’s a monumental task to solicit food donations that will match the tastes of so many residents – canned green beans and frozen chicken nuggets only go so far. We want to be sure that each resident is getting what they need – and what they want, so that they are eating regularly and staying healthy.
We are always seeking new volunteers to help arrange and deliver food donations. If you’re able to help – please do so! Go to our website for more information and sign up to help. Thank you for taking the time to feed the seniors in our community.
In gratitude,
