The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the number of older adults seeking help from local food pantries increased 81 percent from 2006 to 2008, according to an Associated Press story about how the recession has affected seniors' ability to pay for food.
If you are an older adult who needs help getting food--or you know someone who does--there are federal and state programs that can help you. If you are over age 60 or have a disability, you may qualify for the new federal food stamp program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which replaces the Federal Food Stamp Program.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides prepared meals to needy people, including the elderly.
Eldercare Locator is a great resource for senior community services of all kinds, including food.
For a complete list of government-sponsored food assistance programs, see Nutrition Assistance Programs from the USDA.
Where were you when Kennedy was shot? People over a certain age can answer that question without missing a beat.
The tragic death of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963--46 years ago this coming Sunday--was a defining moment in the life of every American who was old enough to have even the slightest understanding of what was going on at the time.
JFK was not the first U.S. president to be assassinated, and his violent death was no more tragic than those of his younger brother, Bobby, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. just a few years later, yet it shocked and saddened us in a way no other tragedy before or since has ever done.
When Kennedy was inaugurated in January 1961, he was the youngest person ever to hold the office. Brilliant, charismatic and energetic, Kennedy inspired the nation and the world. In his inaugural address, Kennedy spoke the now famous lines:
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.
"My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
"Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."
When he died less than three years later on that street in Dallas, the hope and optimism he inspired died with him--at least for awhile. Other leaders would rise up to carry on the work and the vision. But on that sad day in Dallas, a bright light was extinguished, and those of us who witnessed the descending darkness will never forget.
Where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot? Share your memory with Senior Living readers, below.
Photo: National Archives/Getty
The U.S. jobless rate just seems to get bleaker and bleaker, but dig a little deeper and you may find a few trends that add up to good news for older workers.
In October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced the jobless rate had increased to 10.2 percent, but it turns out joblessness is not equal for all age groups. In fact, workers from the baby boom generation and above are the only age group whose job prospects improved during the past few months. And that's not the only good news.
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Widely reported news from UCLA suggests that boomers will enter their 60s with more disabilities than the previous generation.
Researchers looked at results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) during two different time periods--1988-1994 and 1999-2004, and studied how the levels of disability changed for people who were 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80-plus in four areas:
- Activities associated with daily living: walking from room to room; getting into and out of bed
- Performing household chores or preparing meals
- Mobility: walking one-quarter mile; climbing 10 steps without stopping for rest
- Functional limitations: stooping, crouching or kneeling
How did they do?
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