JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Twice as many seniors are going hungry in our area than the national average, and Feeding Northeast Florida wants more people to know there are services to help.
If you're a senior citizen or know a senior who needs help, Feeding Northeast Florida is doubling down on getting a message out to you.
"Oftentimes when people think about food distribution, charitable food distribution, they think about feeding the homeless," said Sarah Hall, director of strategic initiatives. "Which is a very important cause, but the majority of the people that we serve either have jobs or have worked jobs their entire lives and now, especially the seniors, they find themselves unable to get a job or unable to work and they don't have enough money on their fixed income to be able to provide all of the nutritional needs that they have each month."
Hall says they're seeing twice as many people at their food distributions as they were a few months ago and up to 30% of those people are seniors.
"The exact reason being inflation," Hall said. "'Do I buy groceries this week or do I pay for my medications this week?'"
The average amount for all social security benefits is $1500 a month, according to the Social Security Administration. With so many seniors living on a fixed income and with inflation, Feeding Northeast Florida is especially needed now.
"We not only pick up but we deliver to them too," said Elvin Owens in a food distribution line at Regency Square Mall by Dillard's.
First Coast News met Edna and Elvin Owens at the drive-up food distribution that happens every Tuesday. They were picking up food for others who couldn't get there.
"We grew up real poor on a farm in Tennessee," Edna Owens said. "We were helped a lot back in the, when was it, Elvin, 1950s or 60s?"
Families in the food line say the distribution really helps them.
"A lot," said one woman who didn't want to be named. "It's for two families and sometimes we divvy up to almost four families. The problem with seniors is that they don't have transportation. I see them coming in buses, and it's hard for them to move the foods unless they can get a ride."
Feeding Northeast Florida can also deliver food. On Feeding Northeast Florida's website there's tab called "Find Food Now" where you can see on a calendar where food distributions are each day. There's also a map with locations of food pantries.
Hall says you can help seniors by volunteering at their warehouse or at distribution events or donating food or money. She says you can also research more about hunger and share that information with your friends.