MORE SENIORS FACING HUNGER

A new study on hunger among America’s elderly population shows 15.3% of seniors or 9.3 million individuals faced the threat of hunger in 2012.About 14% of Connecticut seniors were food insecure in 2012, according to the report, up from 11.4% in 2011. In just five years, from 2007 to 2012, the number of food insecure seniors nationwide increased by 49%. The most vulnerable were:

▪      Baby boomers–60% of food insecure seniors were between ages 60 and 69.

▪      Grandparents living with grandchildren–Over one-third of seniors with a grandchild present faced the threat of hunger.

▪      Women–16.6% of senior women faced food insecurity (13.8% of senior men).

▪      Poor and near poor–Over 61% of seniors threatened by hunger had incomes below 200% of the poverty line.

▪      Non-Whites–Hispanic and African American seniors faced food insecurity, more than double that of whites. 

Source: National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, 5/21/14, Senior Hunger