Long Beach, California – Long Beach Food Pantry Delivery (LBFPD) is an Evidence-Based Program determined to fight the growing levels of senior hunger and malnutrition. This service protects the Long Beach community by providing free weekly nutritious groceries home-delivered to seniors in need.
Seniors make the fastest growing groups suffering from food insecurity in the USA. Many battle with mobility issues, preventing them from accessing desperately needed nutritious food or they prioritize their income on medications before food, while others struggle with shame and are silent. Some seniors are also more likely to face hunger due to racial and economic inequality; especially seniors that identify as Black, Latino, or Native America; have lower incomes; or have a disability. According to the Feeding America, The State of Senior Hunger Report, 2022, in 2020 (the most recent year for available data), 5.2 million seniors aged 60+ faced hunger - that's 1 in 15 seniors. It’s anticipated, with the soaring inflation of 2022, that more seniors will suffer from hunger. This can put seniors at risk of health-related conditions like depression, asthma, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses.
Help Me Help You (HMHY) launched LBFPD in late 2020 as a response to the increased community demand for food pantry services and concerns around our most vulnerable senior hungry community accessing free food services safely, due to the COVID pandemic environment.
“With the increase in residents lining up at our food pantry locations for essential groceries, the surge in COVID-19 infections and stay-at-home orders, we had to find a way to service our more compromised residents, and food pantry delivery was the logical progression”, said Ms. Washington, HMHY Executive Director.
To reduce senior malnutrition and hunger, The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends home-delivered food services for seniors who are living independently. CPSTF found that home-delivered meal services also increase energy intake and improve health-related quality of life and well-being. Today, LBFPD has grown as a proven program to directly fight senior hunger by providing more than 500 seniors (60+) with free nutritious groceries home delivered. Those that qualify, select their preferred delivery time and dietary preferences from a variety of healthy fresh and packaged grocery items from the five food groups. Clients also receive weekly recipes; nutritional information; a needs analysis; and free benefit enrollment services for CalFresh, Medical, and General Relief, as well as links to housing services. These services are not only life-improving but can be lifesaving.
“Without Long Beach Food Pantry Delivery, I would struggle to buy groceries and survive. This service is a great reliever of stress and anxiety off my mind and body, during this inflation and pandemic fearful time! HMHY are life savers and real angels. I pray they continue this wonderful service to give seniors the freedom and hope to live our best life”,
J. B. Hernandez, LBFPD client.
LBFPD relies on the generosity of donations and sponsors to continue to provide and grow the service. If you are interested in sponsoring this essential service, please contact us at info@helpmehelpu.org or donate at helpmehelpu.org/donate-now
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