Food Assistance
Nutrition programs strive to provide seniors with healthy meals, but older adults may need additional food to meet their nutritional needs. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other programs may be helpful. Becoming familiar with and referring participants to these programs can help ensure that all older adults in your community have access to enough healthy food.
Tools & Toolkits
- Benefits CheckUp— Comprehensive tool from NCOA that connects older
adults and people with disabilities to benefits - Finding Food for Older Adults — Quick guide to food programs for older
adults
Resources
- Food Assistance for Older Adults— Articles from NCOA about food assistance
- Food Assistance for Seniors Age 60 and Over— Links to USDA programs including SNAP, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and resources for military and veteran families
- Nutrition Security— USDA programs and resources like nutrition research, webinar series, healthy eating on a budget, commodity programs,
and program histories - Partnerships with Food Banks and Other United States Department of Agriculture Programs — Frequently asked questions on how OAA programs can partner with SNAP, TEFAP, food banks, SFMNP, etc.
- Seniors & SNAP: 5 Myths Busted— NCOA addresses misconceptions that may keep older adults from applying for SNAP assistance
- SNAP Online Purchasing— USDA page for finding retailers participating in the SNAP online purchasing pilot
- SNAP Special Eligibility Rules— USDA page on special SNAP eligibility rules for households with older adults or people with disabilities
- SNAP State Directory of Resources— Contact information for state SNAP offices
- State Data for Households Participating in SNAP— Interactive map from FRAC
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)— Info from USDA about SNAP and the nutrition benefits it provides to supplement family food budgets