Last October, we blogged about the film Leftovers which explores senior hunger in America. We recently got an update from the filmmaker Seth Hancock who let us know that the film is in the final stages of production and will be available soon. In the meantime, we wanted to share some video clips he shot during his time in Texas.

President & CEO, Hank Perret explains the warehouse.

Seth gets inspiration from the CAFB Teaching Garden.

Senior hunger in Lometa, TX.

Food stamp vs. gun application Texas.

You can learn more by visiting the film website at http://www.leftoversmovie.com. We’ll be sure to let you know when this film is available.

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!

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!