Here in Utah, we have an abundance of what we often refer to as our “bookends” population—seniors and children. Nationwide, more than 5 million senior citizens struggle with hunger. In the next 8 years, the number of food-insecure seniors is projected to increase by 50% when the youngest of the Baby Boomer Generation reaches age 60. According to Feeding America’s Hunger in America Study (2014), 8.4% of the clients we serve are over the age of 60, and many of these clients often have to make the difficult decision of buying food or medication. Our Food Box Program is designed to help, but we need help to reach the thousands of Utah’s homebound seniors who are unsure where their next meal will come from. You can help us feed this incredibly vulnerable population with just an hour and a half of your time each month.
Utah Food Bank’s Food Box program provides free, monthly food assistance to homebound people with disabilities and seniors living in poverty, delivered right to their door by caring volunteers. Each of these boxes contains approximately one week’s worth of non-perishable food as well as additional bread, fresh produce and protein items when available. For many recipients, the monthly volunteer delivering their box is often one of the few visitors they receive, offering a bright spot in their difficult lives.
Last year, close to 12,000 of these boxes were delivered – primarily by volunteers, but our volunteer numbers for this program are dwindling. This is a great way to get young kids involved in giving back (after you receive approval from the recipient), and it can be completed on your own time. Please help us continue to offer this program by signing up to be a regular food box volunteer. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can volunteer for this program, please click here.
