HARRISBURG — Nearly 3,000 additional Pennsylvania seniors will benefit from the Senior Food Box Program under new income guidelines announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.
USDA increased the Federal Poverty Level for the Community Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) from 130 percent to 150 percent, making more residents eligible for aid. Hunger-Free Pennsylvania administers CSFP in Pennsylvania as the Senior Food Box Program.
“Our seniors deserve fresh, nutritious, and healthy food,” Hunger-Free Pennsylvania Executive Director Stuart I.R. Haniff, MHA, said. “Updating the guidelines to better reflect the challenges older Pennsylvanians face today means more people will have consistent access to the vital resources they need to fight food insecurity.”
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania will increase its caseload by 2,712 individuals proportionately across the state within its 16-food bank service area.
In Pennsylvania, eligible participants for the Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program include low-income individuals who are at least 60 years old and whose household income is at or below 150 percent of the U.S. poverty level.
Under the new income level, the number of Pennsylvania seniors who are eligible for the Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program will increase from 343,485 individuals at 130 percent to 645,685 at 150 percent. Only about 35,000 are enrolled to receive it this year.
“It is absolutely critical that we ensure necessary funding so we can keep pace with rising costs and expanded eligibility to ensure we reach these new tiers of Pennsylvania seniors in need,” Haniff said.
Every month, the Senior Food Box Program gives senior citizens food, including milk, meat, veggies, pasta, and cereal. CSFP helps the program by buying food and giving it to the Department of Agriculture for the senior food boxes, which are distributed by Hunger-Free Pennsylvania’s member food banks.
Seniors can fill out the self-certification form found on Agriculture’s website or call (800) 468-2433 to be directed to the regional food bank distributing the senior food box in their county of residence.
For more information, visit pafoodbanks.org.
