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Kentucky Ranks Sixth In The Nation For Food Insecurity Among Seniors

TYLER OLSON, 123RF

A new study ranks Kentucky sixth in the U.S. for food insecurity among seniors.

Feeding America and The National Foundation To End Senior Hunger released the report.10.8% of people age 60 or older in the Commonwealth didn’t have a secure source of food according to data used for the study.

 

Kentucky Association Of Food Banks Executive Director Tamara Sandberg said it’s typical for seniors to find themselves with declining income or being the sole provider for a grandchild.

 

She said sometimes they are also reluctant to ask for help.

“We hear often from food pantries who say when seniors come to the food pantry, they’re actually less likely to ask for help in the first place," Sandberg said. "They are more likely to say ‘give it to someone else who needs more help.’”
 

Sandberg said seniors that are food insecure are also more likely to experience debilitating health problems and suffer from mental illness.

 

She said people can donate to a Senior Commodity Box Program at food banks across the state, or just earmark their normal donations to be specifically for seniors in need.

 
Another study by Feeding America earlier this month reported that 30% of the nearly seven million food insecure Kentuckians are not eligible for federal nutritional assistance, like SNAP benefits.

Taylor is a recent Murray State University graduate where she studied journalism and history. When she's not reporting for WKMS, she enjoys creative writing and traveling. She loves writing stories that involve diversity, local culture and history, nature and recreation, art and music, and national or local politics. If you have a news tip or idea, shoot her an email at tinman1@murraystate.edu!
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