Senators and Aging Committee members Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act, a bipartisan bill to support the delivery of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, commonly known as the “senior food box.”
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a federal food assistance program that provides monthly food boxes to low-income seniors.
However, seniors living in rural areas, seniors with disabilities, and those without reliable transportation often do not receive home delivery services from food banks participating in CSFP, according to a press release.
The Delivering for Rural Seniors Act would address this gap by creating a pilot program to fund grants specifically for the delivery of CSFP to these underserved populations, the release states.“
Our seniors have worked hard their entire lives and deserve to have access to nutritious food without facing barriers due to mobility or transportation,” Sen. Kelly said. “This bipartisan bill will help ensure that low-income seniors in Arizona receive the essential food they need directly to their homes, improving their health and quality of life.”
Sen. Braun echoed a similar sentiment.
“No senior in America should go hungry. This bill will help rural seniors and those with disabilities get access to food bank services to help cut down on the issue of food insecurity among older Americans,” Mr. Braun, who serves as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, said.
St. Mary’s Food Bank has provided home delivery for seniors, including those not enrolled in CSFP, since fall 2020. During that time, they have made more than 6,000 deliveries per month. From July to September 2023, St. Mary’s completed nearly 18,000 deliveries, with CSFP deliveries representing approximately 44 percent.
In addition to Sens. Kelly and Braun, this bill has broad bipartisan support in the Senate. The House version was introduced by Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19) and is co-sponsored by 16 Democrats and 13 Republicans.
“As the oldest food bank in the nation, we have an unwavering commitment to serve communities in need. Recent COVID restrictions and safety protocols highlighted the need for home delivery services to reach our most vulnerable, homebound neighbors. During the pandemic, no contact home delivery models laid the groundwork for our continued work in this space,” said Marcos Gaucin, chief programs officer at St. Mary’s Food Bank.“
As economic pressures build, our neighbors with fixed incomes, high-risk health conditions, and limited access to reliable transportation are disproportionately impacted. Home delivery has given us an avenue by which we can serve hard to reach communities. We believe that the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act will help expand our work in delivering CSFP boxes and, in turn, reach more seniors with vital food supplies.”
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