The state of Texas leads the nation in food insecurity, with more than 6 million residents facing hunger. More than 20% of those residents live in North Texas.
This week, NTX Now is taking a closer look at how food insecurity and the ongoing affordability crisis are impacting some of our most vulnerable populations, starting with seniors.
Texas has the largest number of food insecure seniors (60+ years old) in the country, and there are at least 154,500 seniors facing hunger in North Texas, according to a July report from the Tarrant Area Food Bank and North Texas Food Bank that compiled local data from Feeding America.
Shannon Miller, intake and client navigation director for The Senior Source, a nonprofit serving older adults in North Texas, explained why seniors are more at risk of food insecurity and how they are navigating this difficult time.
These interview highlights have been edited for length and clarity. To hear the conversation in full, click the play button above.
The intersection of food insecurity and isolation
Miller says an important factor that impacts many seniors is isolation.
“Often older adults are referred to as ‘the forgotten hungry’ because many of them are tucked in their homes and not getting out and about where others can lay eyes on them,” she explained.
And Miller said isolation is distinctly different from loneliness.
“Isolation is where people don’t have access to information and resources and necessities, such as food, due to barriers preventing access,” she said. “Perhaps they lack transportation and cannot reach a senior center, or perhaps they cannot travel to a food bank, maybe they are disabled and homebound. That’s where isolation and food insecurity intersect for older adults and why mobile services, such as Meals on Wheels and outreach through community partners, are essential.”
SNAP cuts and the affordability crisis
This year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) underwent changes to its funding model that reduced the amount of money the federal government pays and increases the burden on individual states. The costs used to be split evenly, but now states are expected to cover 75% of SNAP costs. The federal government also implemented stricter work requirements and Texas lawmakers put new restrictions on what enrollees can purchase with their benefits.
Miller says SNAP is often just one piece of a larger struggle for seniors to cover basic living expenses on a fixed income.
“Even a modest reduction in food assistance can force difficult choices between necessities,” she said. “For an older adult living primarily on Social Security, losing $20, $30, $50 a month can mean buying less fresh produce, choosing less expensive foods, or stretching groceries further between benefit payments. It can also mean relying more heavily on food pantries, family members, or community services.”
How you can help
Miller offered some advice for how to help seniors in your life who may be experiencing food insecurity.
“If you know an older adult without a lot of friends or family, consider helping them with grocery shopping or help break the isolation barrier by making sure they are informed of resources available to them,” she said.
She says that support is especially important for seniors who are homebound.
“I hear often that they aren’t able to access our office to pick up, perhaps, incontinent supplies or to have us make copies of their documents,” which Miller says are needed to apply for SNAP and other state benefits. “Even when they find a solution the first time, they’re required to go through renewal processes, even though their financial situation hasn’t hardly changed.”
Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning are the hosts of KERA’s NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Miranda at msuarez@kera.org or Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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