{"id":10484,"date":"2020-08-13T19:11:10","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T02:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10484"},"modified":"2020-08-13T19:12:23","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T02:12:23","slug":"providing-healthy-food-for-healthier-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10484","title":{"rendered":"Providing Healthy Food for Healthier Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Healthy<\/a>

Providing Healthy Food for Healthier Lives, from Santa Barbara Independent, Active Aging Special Section, July 30, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

We\u2019ve heard a lot about the\u00a0vulnerable senior population\u00a0during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0But even prior to that, a study\u00a0by the UCLA Center for Health Policy\u00a0Research found that in California, one\u00a0in five adults over the age of 65 lives in\u00a0\u201can economic no-man\u2019s land, unable\u00a0to afford basic needs but often ineligible\u00a0for government assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa Barbara\u2019s Community Action\u00a0Commission (cacsb.org<\/a>) is attacking\u00a0this challenge head-on.<\/p>\n

\u201cCAC\u2019s Senior Nutrition program\u00a0provides a daily nutritious meal to\u00a0this vulnerable population in Santa\u00a0Barbara County, where the\u00a0need is compounded by\u00a0the area\u2019s high cost of living,\u00a0primarily due to a lack\u00a0of affordable housing,\u201d said\u00a0CEO Patricia Keelean<\/a>. She\u00a0explained that these \u201cinvisible\u00a0poor\u201d receive\u00a0inadequate social\u00a0security to cover their\u00a0basic needs and yet do\u00a0not qualify for government\u00a0safety-net\u00a0programs, such as SSI\u00a0and SNAP.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe low-income seniors\u00a0that we serve are being\u00a0squeezed financially, forced\u00a0to choose between housing, medicine,\u00a0and food,\u201d she explained. \u201cBecause\u00a0they can\u2019t afford all three, a healthy\u00a0meal usually becomes their lowest priority.\u00a0This was the status for the past\u00a0<\/span>few years\u2014and then along comes\u00a0COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place\u00a0directive! So there is a lot of work to\u00a0do now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The countywide program is free,\u00a0with no qualififications or proof of age,\u00a0income, or citizenship required. Participants\u00a0simply sign up for either the\u00a0home-delivery option or to eat with\u00a0others at community centers, though\u00a0those are currently to-go meals\u00a0because of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the regular guests to community\u00a0sites changed to home delivery\u00a0once the lockdown occurred,\u201d said\u00a0Keelean. \u201cBut there was still a need to\u00a0feed people without homes or with an\u00a0inconsistent address or other delivery\u00a0issues, so this distribution still goes\u00a0on, and demand here has also grown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Requests have increased during the\u00a0pandemic more than 50 percent, so\u00a0the CAC<\/a> now provides meals to more\u00a0than 700 seniors on a daily basis.\u00a0When the CAC put out a call for\u00a0volunteers to help with increased\u00a0demand in April, about two dozen\u00a0contacted the commission, and most\u00a0were over the age of 55, said development\u00a0director Linda Rosso. Their\u00a0first project was organizing personal care\u00a0packages that were delivered to\u00a0homebound seniors with one of their\u00a0daily meals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a robust program of trained\u00a0volunteers, Senior Nutrition can meet\u00a0the needs of our growing list of enrollees\u00a0without incurring the additional\u00a0expense of paid delivery drivers and\u00a0on-site meal hosts,\u201d said Rosso, who\u00a0could always use more help. \u201cUsing\u00a0volunteers as drivers and site hosts,\u00a0we can put the dollars saved on paid\u00a0staff back into food procurement.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means the CAC can feed even\u00a0more seniors.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy expanding the number of\u00a0drivers and site hosts through volunteerism,\u201d\u00a0added Rosso, \u201cwe can\u00a0also give more time to individual\u00a0seniors, supporting socialization\u00a0and safety checks.\u201d<\/p>\n

CAC Senior Nutrition Program:\u00a0cacsb.org\/low-income-assistance\/senior-nutrition<\/a>.\u00a0To volunteer, call (805) 964-8857 x1105 or email lrosso@cacsb.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Active<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent on July 30, 2020. To view the Active Aging Guide to Senior Life, Seen Through a Pandemic Lens, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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