Food program hopes to help seniors adjusting to decrease in SNAP benefits

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Facing Hunger Foodbank offers a program aimed at helping seniors eat nutritiously called the Senior Box Program.

After the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was cut at the start of March, the foodbank says this program is more important than ever.

It’s a box filled with essential foods like meats, cheeses and fruits, to get distributed to seniors who qualify. It aims to help seniors get the food they need for a healthy lifestyle.

“We’re doing this because there is such a significant amount of food insecurity in Putnam County,” Tanya McComas with Facing Hunger Food Bank said.

“With the SNAP benefits going back to pre-COVID times, even though the cost of groceries have not gone down, we’re just trying to get the word out that this program is available,” she said.

Frances Sidars is grateful for the Senior Box Program, especially with the extra SNAP benefits going away.

“For people, senior citizens on a fixed income this really comes in handy,” she said. “Cutting SNAP is hurting senior citizens and people of all ages that, you know, really otherwise just don’t have the money to eat on.”

McComas said with the extra benefit payments ending, they’re expecting to see more food insecurity throughout the region in the upcoming months.

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