AARP reports of the 51 million people in the United States who are at risk of hunger, more than six million are older adults who through no fault of their own, are faced with the impossible choice of buying much-needed medications or putting food on the table.
This number is disproportionately higher in Philadelphia where according to the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), 13% of the 120,000 people 60 and older whose income is 200% of the federal poverty level have cut meals due to lack of money.
In response, the Mayor’s Commission on Aging and the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service collaborated on a Home-Delivered Meals Program Research Project to evaluate the capacity and needs of volunteer-supported, home-delivered meal programs in Philadelphia to identify ways the city can combat senior hunger.
Senior Centers play a vital role in ensuring seniors have access to nutritious meals and PSC is no stranger to this effort having served 50,906 meals to 1,558 seniors in the past year alone. As a result, PSC will host the two Commissions as they release the results of their evaluation at an event entitled “What’s Cooking? Homebound Seniors and Home-delivered Meals: Challenges and Opportunities.” The event will be held at PSC’s Main Branch located at 509 S. Broad Street on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 2- 4 p.m.