Seniors don’t have to go hungry

#Middlebury #Seniors

Some things just break your heart …

I was sitting at a traffic light when I saw one of my neighbors go into a pawn shop carrying a bag. This was worrisome, and I pulled into the parking lot across the street to watch. Sure enough, she came out empty-handed … and sure enough, she pulled out into traffic and headed for the grocery store. When I spotted her later as she headed for the checkout line, there wasn’t much in her basket.

I pulled into the pawn shop on my way home. The owner was hesitant to disclose any information, but yes, my neighbor had brought in three items to pawn, and yes, he knew why. She was out of money and her Social Security wasn’t due for two weeks. When he told me what she’d pawned, my heart broke.

From there I went to the food bank where they loaded up two bags of food once I told them what I was doing. With a little subterfuge, the groceries were delivered anonymously to my neighbor.

If you’re ever in a position where you don’t have enough food, there are ways to get help. Church pantries (even if you’re not a member), a food bank and your local senior center are good places to start.

For more information, contact your local Agency on Aging. Ask about the monthly food boxes, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and Meals on Wheels. Call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479). Look online at www.feedingamerica.org and nutrition.gov (put Nutrition Programs for Seniors in the search box). Check your potential benefits at www.benefitscheckup.org.

Don’t wait until you’re to the point of needing to pawn precious belongings before you ask for help.

© 2019 King Features Synd. Inc.