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"I can't believe the Mission would
provide so much good food to a private senior's apartment building every week!
These basic staples of life reduce my food bill tremendously. When I get
stronger I would like to be a volunteer." ~ Judy
The Senior Mobile Support Program currently serves residents of Lakewood Towers,
an independent living facility in Lake Villa, where residency is based on
financial criteria. The majority of residents are low-income and food insecure.
On a weekly basis, they are offered fresh, perishable and non-perishable foods;
personal hygiene products; and cleaning supplies. Healthy choices in food items
are provided specifically for the elderly (ie low sodium, low fat, high fiber,
foods for people with diabetes). The program is now serving more than 35
residents per week and there is strong interest in having us expand the program
to four additional sites.
Many Open Arms clients are older neighbors having to choose between paying for
housing, medicine, utility bills or good nutrition. Often they are food insecure
or are experiencing hunger. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture defines food insecure
people as those who do not have regular access to enough nutritious food for an
active and healthy life. They have reduced quality and variety of meals, and may
have irregular food intake.
The causes behind the growth in need for food assistance in northern Lake County
are numerous, but these factors are major contributors:
• Elderly population is increasing due to longevity of life, and in some
instances living longer that their resources
• As reported in “A Blueprint to End Hunger,” only 1 in 4 eligible
low-income renters received rental assistance, and more than half of poor
renters spend 50% or more of their earnings on housing.
• 81.7% of food assistance clients who receive Food Stamps report that
their monthly allotment of Food Stamps last for 3 weeks or less; on average they
last 2.5 weeks
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