FORT PIERCE — May is Older Americans Month, a time each year to honor the nation’s seniors and the contributions they’ve made to the country. But this year, with inflation keeping food costs high, many of the nation’s seniors are finding it especially hard to make ends meet and more seniors living on the Treasure Coast are turning to Treasure Coast Food Bank for assistance.

Each month, Treasure Coast Food Bank provides thousands of food boxes to low-income seniors to help them supplement their monthly groceries. Treasure Coast Food Bank also has been helping more seniors apply for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“This year has been especially difficult for seniors,” said Judith Cruz, President and CEO of Treasure Coast Food Bank. “Many of our seniors whose limited budgets might have afforded them a comfortable life in the past are finding themselves squeezed by the high cost of food. We’re seeing many seniors seek help for the first time in their lives.”

Between 2020 and 2021, Treasure Coast Food Bank saw a 53 percent increase in the number of seniors served at its Your Plate Health & Wellness Center in Fort Pierce. In the past months, seniors list the rising cost of food as their main reason for applying for SNAP benefits.

A recent USDA Food Price Outlook for 2022 released on March 31 predicted that the cost of food is expected to increase between 4.5 and 5.5 percent overall this year. In some food categories, the anticipated increases are higher - 16 percent for beef and veal, 12.5 percent for poultry, 5 percent for dairy, 10 percent for fresh fruits and 4 percent for fresh vegetables.

According to an annual report on food insecurity among seniors 60 and older, the rate of food insecurity persisted at higher rates than prior to the Great Recession in 2020, the most recent data available. The annual State of Senior Hunger report was released by Feeding America earlier this month. Among older Americans ages 50-59 the food insecurity rate in 2020 grew to 10 percent nationwide. It’s a 35 percent increase since 2001.

“Many older Americans who were working before the pandemic, especially those who worked front-line jobs, never were able to return to the workforce because their health makes them especially vulnerable to COVID-19,” Cruz said. “Now they’re dealing with very limited resources and rising costs of food and other essentials.”

Treasure Coast Food Bank works with senior resource organizations and housing developments to provide mobile distributions and food boxes on a monthly basis. The Market Fresh on the Move mobile grocery store also targets low-income senior communities to provide another outlet for them to obtain food.

Treasure Coast Food Bank's mission is to alleviate hunger by obtaining and distributing food and other essentials in Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee Counties.

To support Treasure Coast Food Bank’s programs for seniors, make a donation at www.stophunger.org.