Throughout the holiday season, we’ll feature families supported and nourished by your gifts. A special thank you goes to Janice who agreed to share her personal story with us. If you would like to help her family and others like her, please consider making a financial gift online.

“Visiting food pantries is new to me,” explains Janice, age 64. “Before moving to Texas my income was a little better, but I moved to be my father’s caregiver.” Janice heard about the “Wheels of Sharing” Mobile Food Pantry at Turner Roberts Recreation Center from several neighbors.

Janice, a retired insurance underwriter lives on her “modest” retirement savings. “The food I receive here helps supplement my food stamp supply for the month,” she says. “The food here is extremely important to me. I don’t have any health coverage, so I try to eat healthy—the food I receive here is very healthy,” says Janice. “I usually get staple items such as onions, potatoes, pasta and meat.”

“In the past I was one of these volunteers, and now I am on the other side of the spectrum,” explains Janice. “These food pantries are very important because there are so many people in need during these hard economic times. There is quite a diversity of people here; lots of senior citizens and single mothers.”

Janice encourages everyone who needs help to visit a food pantry. “The atmosphere is always friendly. No one here is ever irritated and they don’t treat me any different because of my situation,” says Janice. “ I always feel comfortable. No one should ever feel ashamed of coming here. If you need help, just come.”

Your financial gift makes it possible to for Central Texans to not have to choose between caring for family members and having enough to eat. Help turn hungry holidays into happy holidays by sharing this story and making a gift today.

Seth Hancock, a photographer and filmmaker from Los Angeles, CA, was asked to make a documentary about a subject that a) didn’t interest him and b) he knew nothing about or had ever given it one minute of his time. The topic: Senior Citizens and Hunger.

“To be honest, I rarely think about being a senior and I have never known what it’s like to go hungry a day in my life. But the more and more I kept wanting to turn this project down, the more and more I felt compelled to take a journey and discover why I have never cared and how real the problem of senior hunger is in America,” Seth shared.

Seth and his videographer have been traveling around the country since January including stops in Los Angeles, CA, Booneville, KY, Orlando, FL, Washington D.C. and Detroit, MI. He then realized that he needed “a little something different in the film to provide some depth and dimension.” His research led him to the Food Bank.

Seth and his videographer Phil in Austin

For three and a half days, CAFB’s team shared what senior hunger is like in Central Texas through the eyes of our President & CEO, CAFB’s food rescue team, social service coordinators, nutrition educators, volunteers supporting outreach in Lometa, TX and by talking to the seniors themselves.

“I cannot express how impressed I am with this group and, once again, confirmed that I had hit a “home run” with them. They wanted to show off all the great things they do and I have to admit that it was a sight to see. Thanks for letting us show the world what you and many other people, groups and organizations are doing to feed the seniors of America,” said Seth.

Stay tuned for an upcoming film showing in Central Texas. We can’t wait!

Robert and Linda lost everything in the Central Texas wildfire over Labor Day weekend.

The fires struck suddenly, leaving most residents with no warning. The Rowes fled for safety with just a few precious photographs, papers and their pets.”I didn’t even pack a change of clothes,” Linda said as she looked down at what she’d been wearing for two days. When they returned to survey the damage, they found nothing left.

Robert and Linda were facing difficult times even before the fire. Linda’s health isn’t good and Robert has suffered from extreme medical problems for several years. The inability to work has been frustrating for the former master carpenter, and Linda, a former home-care nurse, has stayed home to take care of him.  Each month more and more of their single fixed income has to go to the vital daily medications that they both require.

The Rowes found help at the Helping Hands Crisis Center of Spicewood, a CAFB Partner Agency. They have been long-time clients, but here, at their lowest point, they are thankful. They received bags full of nutritious groceries and fresh food to sustain them during these difficult times. They are so grateful for the people who help make places like this happen. “Your generosity is really appreciated. We appreciate the help so much,” said Linda, adding “God bless you. I’ve not stopped praying since we got here.”

by Kelly Waterman, SNAP Outreach Coordinator

I should start this post by explaining that I’ve always had a special affection for my elders.  I love their stories, their unapologetic personalities, and their insightful words of wisdom.  Perhaps I’m just an ‘old soul’ myself, but I distinctly remember being as young as 12, spending an afternoon with some women at a retirement community and having a blast!

In high school, I established an especially close relationship with an elderly couple, Lloyd, and Margaret, who, unfortunately, couldn’t have children. We met when I was in the 10^th grade and became a fast friend. Since then, they have supported me and watched me grow into the woman I am today. Only last spring, Lloyd lost the love of his life to her battle with cancer. She died at 84, just 10 days before their 60^th wedding anniversary. Since then, I have gained a new and intimate look at the realities of aging, here, in America.

Lloyd has freely admitted to me that growing old is not easy, especially growing old alone, while facing illness, loss of mobility, and a small social support network. All of these difficulties are only further compounded by the fact that he is scraping by on a fixed income.

Lloyd’s situation is not unique; in fact, population experts estimate that by 2020 there will be 50 million Americans over the age of 65. However, the unfortunate reality is that our society oftentimes turns a blind eye to our elders.  Not only do elderly people have to deal with typical issues associated with aging, but oftentimes they do it on a tight fixed income. Many retired individuals in the US rely solely on their income from social security to keep them afloat. It’s no surprise that after paying medical bills, rent or mortgage, utilities, and prescriptions, there isn’t much left for things as vital as food.

As a SNAP (food stamps) Outreach Coordinator with the Capital Area Food Bank, I see the struggles seniors face daily, and it hits particularly close to home.  It’s a painful experience to explain to a person that because of their income from Social Security (usually around $900/mo), they are only eligible for $20 in food stamp benefits. I get mixed reactions when I tell people this information. Some feel angry or upset that they cannot receive more, others refuse to jump through the “government’s hoops” for such a small amount of money, and, many of them gratefully apply, insisting that something is better than nothing.

With so many seniors eligible for only $20 or less a month in SNAP benefits, it’s no wonder our hunger study revealed that more than a third of older clients go for extended periods without food, and that Partner Agencies are seeing an increase in the amount of older adults in the hunger lines.

I don’t pretend to know the solution to this dilemma; I’m simply sharing my experience in an effort to inform our community about this real and often silent problem.

I encourage you to spend some time getting to know the older people in your neighborhood, or apartment complex this holiday season.  Hunger has no age limit or expiration date, and it’s up to all of us to make sure our community is well cared for!