Striving for Better Grades

In the overall performance and economics categories, the report card reveals that 8.3 million seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2010—a 34 percent increase since the start of the recession in 2007. Seniors have a harder time recovering from economic downturns than Americans in general who are facing hunger. Seniors who are women and people of color are disproportionately impacted by hunger. Nearly one-third of seniors living with a grandchild face hunger. These are just some of the alarming figures brought to light in the report card. 

The challenge is, with the speed at which the senior population is growing, senior hunger will worsen before it improves if we fail to act. Reports show that the number of adults over age 60 living in the United States—currently 60 million people—will double over the next forty years. In the next 24 hours, 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach age 65. That trend will continue daily for the next 19 years! 

Nutrition programs provide a vital lifeline to many struggling older Americans, but these programs are vastly underfunded. Unfortunately, Congress is considering dramatic cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly food stamps) that support older Americans in the 2012 Farm Bill reauthorization process. 

We must urge Congress to protect programs that support hungry and poor seniors before the crisis takes an irreversible toll.

Kristen Archer is a media relations specialist for Bread for the World.