With Thanksgiving having just passed and the winter holidays fast approaching, many of us are thinking of family and expressing gratitude for what we have.
But for many, especially seniors, enjoying holiday feasts with family is not to be. Many seniors are struggling to manage any kind of nutritious meal.
As many as one in 10 households with members 60 and over receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, more commonly known as food stamps, according to a recent study released by the anti-poverty nonprofit Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), in collaboration with AARP Foundation.
Unfortunately, it is expected that the number of SNAP beneficiaries will rise in the next several years as baby boomers age. That’s in part due to the fact that expenses like living and health care costs have risen at a significantly higher rate than wages.
That’s why it is imperative that programs like SNAP stay full funded in the coming years. But there has been over the last few years increasing support in Congress to make cuts to the program. So, it is important, as you and your family gather over the holidays, to remember that there are those less fortunate and maintaining this program is one of the ways we can continue to help them.