Chattanooga Area Food Bank Receives $40,000 Grant To Help Feed At-Risk Seniors

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank announced this month that it is the recipient of a $40,000 grant from the AARP Foundation to establish a Senior Grocery Program. The grant will enable Chattanooga Area Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America network, to provide staple food items for 150 seniors each month for an entire year. The program kicked off Friday with a check presentation and volunteer work opportunity at the food bank.  

City of Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and Meigs County Chamber President Ronda Tucker were there to support the announcement of the new program. 

“It’s a sad fact that more than 9 million older Americans are struggling with hunger and far too many of them live in our state,” says AARP Tennessee volunteer leader, Jane Petitt. “Tennessee actually ranks fifth in the nation for senior hunger. That’s why we are so grateful that organizations like the Chattanooga Area Food Bank are working every day to alleviate hunger for our most vulnerable citizens. We’re pleased that this grant from the AARP Foundation will help them provide nutritious meals for older Tennesseans through the Senior Grocery Program.”

The Senior Grocery Program helps provide low-income older adults who are at risk of hunger access to nutritious food, including fresh produce, which they can easily prepare and consume at home. The program is new to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and will be implemented in collaboration with two of the food bank’s partner agencies, the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults in Chattanooga and the Meigs County Senior Center. Each of these organizations offer a wide breadth of services to members of the senior population who are often living below the poverty level and need extra assistance to maintain living independently.  

“The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is so pleased to be one of the few across the country chosen for this grant award,” says Maeghan Jones, president of the food bank. “We are equally pleased to be working with such great community partners as AARP, Partnership, and the Meigs County Senior Center. All of these partners possess such expertise about the needs of the aging, a population whose needs cannot and should not be ignored.” 

The Senior Grocery Program will deliver enough staple food items to each senior to make 50 meals each month. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank will work closely with the partner agencies to make sure the food items are healthy and meet the dietary needs of seniors. Both partner agencies have already identified the seniors who will be participating in the program this year. 

“It is difficult to imagine that in our community there are seniors living on fixed incomes who are hungry, but it is a sad reality,” says Partnership CEO, Sandra Hollett. “Partnership is grateful for this wonderful collaboration with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. This project will allow us to provide healthy and nutritious food to 50 of our most vulnerable seniors.”  

The food provided through the Senior Grocery Program complements the shelf stable food that eligible older Americans receive through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a federal program that includes people older than 60. Also, the Senior Grocery Program helps address the growing food needs of older Americans not served through the U.S. government feeding program.

Susie Hairrell, director of the Meigs County Senior Center, sees every day how hunger affects seniors and is grateful for the food coming to the seniors who attend their program. “We are so thankful for the opportunity to receive the AARP grant for healthy food for our senior center,” exclaims Ms. Hairrell. “Our seniors can now have a healthier diet and hopefully improve their quality of life.” 

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank encourages the community to support this effort by hosting targeted food drives throughout the year and making charitable contributions to extend the program into the future. Those wishing to make a contribution or host a food drive can contact the food bank development office at 622-1800 ext. 218.