The U.S. Conference of Mayors is praising an effort by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to bring food directly to senior citizens.
The Food Bank’s Senior Market Programuses a truck to deliver food to senior centers or senior-living facilities. In a new report on hunger and homelessness in U.S. cities, the Conference of Mayors included it among programs it deems exemplary responses to hunger.
Food Bank spokeswoman Karen Pozna says the effort started about a year ago in response to the growing number of seniors seeking assistance.
“One of the big challenges with seniors is transportation and the ability to get to one of our local pantries. So, the best way to get the food to them is just to take it right to where they’re at. So that has been a huge success.”
Pozna says the program delivers food once a month to two locations now, and two more will be added next year. At just one senior living facility, she says, the program helps as many as 400 people with each delivery.
