COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

There have been many recent articles on food programs in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and other newspapers. The headlines read “At food banks, a pinch of scarcity.”

What does that mean? Due to the economy there is lack of food distributed to organizations serving low-income families, of which many are seniors.

Costa Mesa Senior Center has offered a wide range of programs and activities to seniors older than 50 since 1992. A combination of public funding, grants, donations and fundraising activities supports the important services provided free to seniors in Costa Mesa and surrounding communities.

One of the important programs started three years ago is the Senior Lunch Box Program. The program addresses food insecurity by providing supplemental non-perishable groceries and fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income seniors who qualify for the program based on their income and lack of sufficient food from other sources.

The program operates on the second and fourth Friday afternoons of the month. The food is purchased from America’s Second Harvest food bank as well as Costco, Smart & Final, and grocery store sale items. It is then transported to the Senior Center and arranged on tables so participants can “shop for free” for the food items that suit their personal preferences.

We first started this program when we noticed that many seniors were losing weight. After talking to the center’s nurse and social worker, we decided that the seniors are not buying food so that they can afford to buy their medications.

Without the Senior Lunch Box Program, many of these seniors would be forced to make the difficult choice between buying nutritious food and paying rent and utilities or purchasing medications. When faced with this dilemma, many seniors are forced to exist on food that is cheap and low in nutritional value, negatively impacting their overall health.

Program participants have indicated to staff that the food provided through the Senior Lunch Box Program has assisted them in eating a variety of nutritious foods and helped them stretch meager budgets to include other necessities. The program has a waiting list of seniors hoping to receive assistance and alleviate their anxiety of having enough to eat.

We are fortunate to have received program grants from the City of Costa Mesa Community Development Block Grant, and from the Orange County Community Foundation. Thank you to both; without these grants, this program could not exist.

If you know anyone needing this program, please feel free to contact Darryl Kim for further information at (949) 645-2356, ext. 15.

AVIVA GOELMAN is executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center.