i want to thank everyone for good morning. we will come to order. when i think everyone for being here, especially those of you who traveled a great distance and those of you who had to make a return trip because of technical difficulties the last triumph we try to conduct this hearing. so thank you to all i want to thank the -- for this team for working with us and rescheduling this hearing. we know that there are more than 5 million older adults in the united states who do not have the affordable and healthy food they need. we also know that one in four grandparent headed households experience food insecurity i. think we all agree that it is unacceptable that any senior is going hungry. for many older adults, they fit face preventable barriers to accessing the food they need to remain healthy and independent. some older adults may be unable to drive for, example, and need accessible pre transportation to go to the grocery store. often, and i should say others, may benefit from a streamlined enrollment process, or extended certification periods. most older adults are living with chronic conditions. and need the option to include fruits and vegetables as part of their meals. thankfully, addressing hunger as an issue of long-standing by president interest and action in this committee, the special committee on aging. we continue this tradition with today's hearing by introducing with ranking member scott, the bipartisan senior nutrition task force act, senate bill 5096, 50 906. which will establish an inter agency task force to address hunger, among older adults and adults with disability. we're also releasing the committee's annual bipartisan report in both english and spanish. recognizing the positive impact of 50 years of funding to support the old americans act nutrition program. so this is the report, our bipartisan report, and this is the spanish version that we are releasing today. both of course are available on the aging committee's website. we know that that is now 50 years of bipartisan, not just support but investment. to ensure that older adults have the food that they need to remain both healthy and independent. with the report the committee is raising state level fact sheets, highlighting the outcomes with the older americans act nutrition program for each state, represented by the members of our committee. and my home state of pennsylvania, more than 9.4 million meals are served to older adults each year in congregate sun settings -- delivered services. earlier this year had the opportunity to visit with linda ellison from montgomery county pennsylvania who referred to her a local meals on wheels program as the miracle on the way program. that is because the older adults -- helps older adults remain connected to their communities. i believe we can however further help older adults in need of nutritious foods. seniors like barbara my sick from luzerne county and, my home state of pennsylvania, right up in northeastern pennsylvania, who tells us that quote, it is hard keeping a diet that is good for her health because that food can be expensive. we know that less than half, less than half of older eligible adults are enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assistance program. we know this. now which can help seniors put healthy food on the table. and stretch their incomes. we also know that. many older adults and adults with not -- testifying, she traveled from -- count county pennsylvania which is where pittsburgh is, you get a sense of the distance, that many older adults struggle to access benefits that they are eligible for due to preventable barriers in their lives. so i look forward to working with democrats and republicans to invest in and increase access to essential nutrition programs for older adults. the white house conference on hunger, nutrition and health held its, held earlier this fall, laid out a framework to support nutrition across the lifespan. senator braun a, member of this committee, worked in a bipartisan manner to help make that conference happen. so together we can address senior hunger in the united states and provide older adults with meaningful opportunities for connection. with that, i turn to the ranking member, ranking member scott. >> thank you mister chairman, thank you for rescheduling this hearing. thank you for the experts and witnesses for being here this evening and both in person and virtually. i can't think of an or more important issue for us to discuss in the aging community then -- that they are healthy, that they understand and appreciate how much we love them. i think we will work together in a bipartisan fashion to continue the 50-year tradition as it relates to publishing in both spanish and english the, recognize-ing the nation's first nutritional program for older adults. i would also like to thank you, jim, casey for working with me to it introduces me the senior nutrition task act that will -- we have 25,000 seniors who received nearly three meal ian meals a year. it is amazing, the number of folks across this country who need food sufficiency. i am thankful that we live in a nation, we live in the state where we have nonprofit organizations that we can dedicate it to the task. they are up to the challenge and they continue to respond to a. i think about one person specifically in south carolina charleston, a vietnam veteran who spent 25 years defending our country. he found himself diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and dementia. neighbors drove his wife to the grocery store until covid-19 hit. shutting everything down. when she called for help, they were starving, scared and extremely depressed. the agency bought emergency food from the food bank, they connected with the low country still -- receive a weekly diversity of fresh produce and eggs. the couple began receiving home deliveries in july of 2021. the veteran has since passed away, but his fifth widow continues to receive these much needed meals and is so grateful for the response. these services are so important for many older adults, especially when prices of everyday necessities continue to rise. three out of four older adults reports rising grocery prices have negatively affected their bottom lines. their ability to take care of themselves. about one third are eating less healthy because of inflation. grocery prices are up 12% since last year. a 40 year high almost. think about this, cost of x have increased 14%. butter 27%, bread 16%, milk and frozen fruits, vegetables 15%. chicken, 12%. food pantries in south carolina report a greater number of older americans who need food than a year ago. when we were still in the pandemic. some older americans, healthy enough to drive to the food pantries, say the cost of gas is up about 30% over the last two years, has actually causing them to go left often. so even when the food is available, they go less often because they cannot afford the gas to get their. farmers, including many senior family farmers are also feeling the pinch. when the prices rise, we'll play more. higher interest rates make their work even more difficult. in december 2021, secretary vilsack to, -- attended the -- to protect americans from the rising prices. his reply failed to answer the question. last december i drove my colleagues including senators braun and others in early federal financial regulators to provide farm -- with regulatory flexibility to work with our clients so that we would have better situation for all americans. despite more government funding than ever, food banks are buying fewer commodities because the prices are so high. the nutrition program benefits many vulnerable older americans. we need lower prices and a stronger economy to make this program as effective as possible. i hope this committee can maintain the balance approach to secure nutrition for older americans, i look forward to hear from our witnesses today and they can -- for rescheduling this. committee >> ranking member scott, thanks very much. i will start now with our witness introductions. our first witness is jeremy everett, jeremy everett is the founder and executive director of the baylor collaborative on hunger and poverty. he is also an affiliate of in temple university's help center for college, community and justice which works to ensure students in philadelphia and across the country can meet their basic needs. additionally, he was appointed by the united states congress to serve on the national commission of hunger. our second witness is dr. walker. that senior hunger and nutrition coordinator for the georgia department of human services. dr. walker leads the implementation of the georgia state planned to address senior hunger, the first of its kind in the state. dr. walker will share her experiences with an innovative approach, the state of georgia is taking to reduce food insecurity, among older adults. doctor, i want to thank you for being here today. and on the prior day. and for making the effort you made to be here twice. for our hearing. our third witness, we introduced by ranking member scott. >> thank you mister chairman. it is my pleasure to introduce tom gilroy, tom is an 18 year resident of south carolina, when his wife marilyn want to spend more time closer to his grandparents than giving back to their community. the previously volunteered in developing countries on nutrition education and housing and not focus on helping people in the community in the charleston area. the device they discovered -- a reach, or as we call, echo, the community based organization founded in the aftermath's -- back in 1989, tom and marilyn are part of a team of over 300 volunteers who make echo so vital to our community. tomlinson echoes food pantry working interacts with contra comp -- with all walks of life. many of them never expected to need echoes assistance. they are grateful for tom, marilyn and all the volunteers staff at echo. tom, we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us and raising awareness of important volunteers and community based organizations to improving nutrition among seniors. thank you before being here with us today, with a key forward to hearing your testimony. >> thank you ranking member scott and our fourth witness is elayne masters from gibsonia, south carolina. -- as i mentioned. it elayne is a nutrition advocate who recently was representative at the white house count france on hunger, nutrition and health where she shared her experiences navigating food insecurity. she is both an older adult and a person with an invisible disability. elayne we'll share her experience as a participant in federal nutrition programs, we want to thank you again for being here. and making that trip. i heard about the early train you talk. yesterday, right? thanks very much. we will start with our first witness statement. and i will ask our witnesses to try and stay within the five minutes, obviously if you go 20 seconds over we are not going to use the gavel, but obviously if you get into the mid and then a half range one of us will grab this gavel probably. but thanks very much. we will start with mr. everett. >> chairman casey, ranking member scott and distinguished committee members, and staff members who made today possible thing. cue for providing us opportunities to engage with an issue that is far reaching implications for neighbors facing barriers associated with aging and disability status. my name is jeremy everett i, serve as a executive director of the bailey university collaborative on hunger and poverty. our mission is to cultivate solutions for hunger which we do three multi sector collaboration, increasing access to public programs and testing specialized interventions for populations disproportionately experiencing food insecurity. mike has devotees that resulted a challenge with solutions rooted and our mission. these solutions build on an investment of more than half a century of tested interventions provided for an older american zach and opportunities provided for the -- they also open the door for inter agency collaboration and more comprehensively supporting the nutritional needs of more adults. and adults with disabilities. according to the urban institute, since 2002 machine on burr of older americans has increased by almost 20 million. from 12.4% to 16.3% of our total population. over 5 million older adults suffer from food insecurity. additionally, data from the department of health and human services reveals that the disability status regardless of age is the primary indicator of food insecurity at the household level. neither aging nor disability inherently make one predisposed to food insecurity. instead, structural barriers like transportation access, siloed programming and resources that have not kept pace with demand. or call to love our neighbors as ourselves compels us to identify and remove those barriers. the pandemic and its economic consequences have exacerbated to challenges faced by this population to accessing adequate nutritious food. we know that one of these challenges that food and fuel prices are higher, paychecks for those on fixed incomes are not rising proportionately. to combat this, i suggest three solutions. the first, article to vaped coalitions and inter agency cooperation. our core assumption of the baylor collaborative is that no one organization can hand -- white house hunger summit. and the only possible pathway forward to ending hunger in america is to create and sustain and inter governmental and multi sexual collaboration's. so chairman casey and ranking member scott, the senior nutrition task force act will go a long way to in ensuring that illegible older adults and adults with disabilities are enrolled and federal nutrition programs. the second solution is snapping sensibility. less than half of eligible adults aged 60 to 69 participate in snap, the most effective intervention we have in strengthening food security. yet, many older and disabled adults find the program to be inaccessible. pandemic initiatives such as outreach, automatic involvement, automatic recertification, helped overcome these barriers associated with living on a fixed income. making these initiatives permanent can vastly improve food insecurity for middle millions of americans as well as provoke a more streamlined approach which will contribute to the efficiency of running the program. the third is our specialized interventions. the pandemic helped into -- programs canmore innovatively address food insecurity in their communities. -- meal programs began to offer meals in parks or partner with local restaurants. when you combine him innovation with research, we are better able to accurately identify the problems of food insecurity and thus create interventions that can radically improve nutrition access. the best way you can do this is to utilize key legislation to promote and expand pilot projects. we often forget that senior -- mean your meal programs -- kneeland wheels were pilots that were proven to be incredibly successful interventions scaled through the five decades of the older americans act. now we need to continue to invest in these interventions while testing out new ways to improve adequate access to nutritious food. this is a winning issue for everyone. strengthening food insecurity for americans is doable and continues to be one issue that people across ideological divides unite over. political colors of red, blue and purple fade into the background when it comes to figuring out how to ensure proper nutrition for the most vulnerable, they disappear altogether when we talk about doing so for older and disabled adults. thank you. >> mr. everett, thanks very much for your testimony. our next witness is doctor temitope walker, we appreciate her testimony and her return here. >> chairman casey, ranking member scott and members of the committee, thank you for holding this hearing today. i am honored to provide my testimony about some of the tremendous work occurring across georgia to address senior hunger. i've over a decade of experience in evaluating, addressing and raising awareness about the holistic needs of older adults. i came to my current role having obtained my doctorate in food and nutrition and graduates -- from the university of georgia. my dissertation project entitled the impact of snap participation in food purchasing practices, dye quality and food insecurity among low income older adults exposed me to the impact of critical support services and resources available to seniors. i currently serve as georgia from -- i manage the implementation of georgia's first of its kind stand-alone state clan to address senior hunger that was implemented in december 2017. as a subject matter expert and senior hunger, i work with many different partners including 12 senior hunger coalitions which are housed within our 12 -- to help provide training, return us and leverage state policies and initiatives to improve food insecurity of older georgians. our area agencies on a on aging quarantining a delivery of -- our division overseas non medicaid, home and community based services that help or older georgians, their caregivers, live safe healthy and independent lives in their homes and communities. in 2020 and 2021, the division received an additional 44 million in stimulus funding from the consolidated appropriations act and the american rescue plan act for home and community based services and to promote vaccine access. this funding also included 25 million for meals and 17.5 million for supportive services. many of the additional services provided were made possible through the supplemental funding. georgia is home to over 200 million adults and accounting for 20% of the states population. division serves meals to just over 30,000 individuals through the older americans act nutrition program. georgia has a high level of diversity among our older adults, and it is reflected in race, ethnicity, culture and cuisine. accepting this -- multi model undressed practices and improper leveraging a partners across different sectors. but we do have high rates of food insecurity among our division neil recipients are these rates have been steadily declining. we are meeting our charge to target greatest economic and social need, the story of seniors in georgia and across the nation is really about factors that impact their lives. it is working, receiving social security benefits or no income at all, -- homelessness, it is living alone are living with multiple generations under one roof, it is choosing what utility bills to pay first, or whether to buy some or all their medicine, it is being a caregiver for their parents, children, grandchildren and other relatives, it is finding the next food box give away. or local pantry options. it is not trying to find or maintain transportation for food, health and connecting to others. it is their fate. it is the love of pets and taking care of them. it is adjusting to a place they didn't grow up in and advocating differently which is. it is resilience of decades of getting bayern munich and meet. the older americans act nutrition program and the farm build programs such a snap, the senior from market nutrition program in the commodity supplemental food program played critical roles in addressing food insecurity for older adults. it is fitting that the committee is recognizing 50 years of the older americans act nutrition program which has been a critical support for our seniors, georgia state unit on aging has work to leverage these programs by partnering with their our aging service networks and other state agencies, assessing food insecurity using a validated six item foods security survey to determine those at risk of hunger and seeing all the recommendations of the state planned to address senior hunger, including the creation of a senior hunger inter agency council comprised of our sister agencies that provide critical support services for our seniors from snap to housing. here are our some key observations from our work in georgia. the solution to senior hunger should be a holistic one, including relevant programs, agencies and state holders. the state plan brought instead varsity of state holders at the table and there is no national model of inter agency collaboration, -- and program implementation for us to follow, and leverage and state work. therefore the, creation of our inter agency council is a pioneering endeavor with lots of potential. -- partnerships across the various sectors is critical in assessing and implementing and evaluating the yen -- policies. we are proud that georgia has been in the forefront of many of the recommendations of the white house and national strategies of hunger, nutrition and health, we look forward to being a part of that. thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today and share our experiences here in georgia. thank you. >> dr. walker, thank you very much for your testimony and again, for coming back after the first hearing, had to be postponed. our next witness is mr. tom gilroy. >> not sure we are hearing mr. gilroy's audio. >> can we start over again? >> yeah that's great, thank you. very good. good morning to the second -- ranking member scott. i appreciate the opportunity to testify -- east cooper community outreach, known in the community has echo. >> i am tom gilroy and i live in mount pleasant, south carolina and, my wife marilyn and i volunteer at the food pantry. we also serve at the development committee. echo is a community based organization that has been created with needs from hurricane hugo in september in 1999. we have been operating for over 30 years. we have served charleston county, east of the cooper river, and we also served berkeley county. echo supports a growing need in our community of providing food, clothing, medical and dental care as well as financial help for utilities, rents and other short term financial needs. echo provides skills to manage money and guidance to become as independent as possible. our food pantry allows clients to choose specific foods for their family from our realtime inventory. they receive monthly points based upon their families size. the choices made either online or by calling the office. we limit the number of specific food types to ensure more balanced nutritional meals. also, once a month echo post-it free farmers market to provide local families with the no for enough fresh fruits and vegetables for the entire household. echoes funding comes 62% from individuals who hold business contributions, 26% from private foundations as well as business and corporate grants, and 6% from county state federal funds. the remaining comes from churches and civic organizations. the usda partnership provides echo with 83,000 pounds of food a year. our clients, 78% female, 57% are over the age of 55, and 14% over the age of 70. 23% of the household with children are led by grandparents. echo has had an increase of the past year significantly. we serve an additional 50 families in our food pantry monthly. distribution of clothing has increased by 43%. new medical and dental clients also increased over the previous year by 30%. and our financial assistance has increased by 9%. however, our food donations from our retail partners are down by 16%. contributing factors are simple. most -- don't goes for as they used. two -- rising cause of inflation with translates to hire -- clothing and gas prices. our neighbors are turning to echo to help fill the gap. the best part about volunteering or that people are unique and we get to know real folks. for example, miss harrison, 22-year-old woman who is in desperate need. she lived on a fixed income and she got bought which. but now she faces a new challenge for three chi teenage grandchildren have come to glove with her in japan on our karen, when she couldn't feed them if it was not for echo. then she gave me a big hug. helping real people face real problems really makes the volunteering wealth while. the reason i volunteer -- beating neighbors and -- difficult times in our lives, our slogan, neighbors helping neighbors -- i see echo as an organization that is committed to their mason. it is well organized and well managed. our team of volunteers worked together like a family, ellipse and supports each other in caring for our clients. our plans for the upcoming year or to extend our reach in more rule communities who are homeless abel pleasant. these communities have tremendous need and fewer resources for help, 30% of our clients live in rural communities and depend on echo to make ends meet. these communities are food deserts. in addition, transportation's -- create access issues. echo continues to serve as we see and needs arrives, it is only possible to meet those needs because of support from the community. it is great to work with dedicated volunteers and an organization committed to serving others is truly what being a neighbor is about. thank you so much for allowing me to share my experience. >> mr. gilroy, thanks very much for your testimony. our final witness for statement is elayne masters. elayne, you may begin. >> chairman casey, ranking member scott and members, of the committee thank you for inviting me to testify today and for hearing the stories of people like me as you work to address hunger and nutrition among the aging population. my name is elayne masters and i'm 65 years old. i was a self employed writer and editor for 20 years and became a single mom when i divorced because of domestic violence. i love alone in gibsonia, pennsylvania, on the outskirts of pittsburgh. my significant other and i spend as much time together as possible but my son and daughter live two hours away. my son and his wife are in erie and my daughter is in new mexico for graduate school. my disability isn't obvious but i have pc s, persistent concussive systems resulting from a brain injury. direct care workers support me in living and dependent by letting me do what i safely can and helping one necessary. because most people don't understand disabilities, they can't see eye campaign for reform so others with invisible disabilities can access programs and services necessary to live fuller, healthier, and more independent lives. in 2009, the industry i worked in changed. and i found myself struggling to meet my budget. when i reached for help for a partner for the greater pittsburgh community food bank, directed me to the food pantry. surviving is as a single mom managing a tight budget, so one business was slow i attended the pantry to supplement groceries i purchased. i appreciated the pantries community garden that provided fresh fruits and vegetables during the growing season. as my business gained momentum, i aspire to break free from depending on social services, yet every time i try to manage on my own, another hiccup whitaker in life. and i would be back on the pantry line. in february 2014 my mother became ill and i spent the next two plus years providing care for her and hospitals and in my home. i gave her better quality of life she would've received otherwise and i have never regretted what i gave up for her. late on november evening in 2015, i was exhausted and took a nosedive down my basement staircases. i bounced off of each side rail and -- traumatic brain injury. many of my symptoms lingered and caused total and permanent disability qualifying me for medicare, medicaid and medicaid home and community based services weaver program. in addition, i have lyme disease and hypothyroidism. these conditions cause neural inflammation that result in brain fog, flooding and fatigue. my sense of balance is impaired, i get confused, start stuttering, repeat myself and miss important information and conversations. fatigue can shut me down for hours or days. eating healthy foods is critical for me to maintain let alone improve, my health and support my independence. i am grateful for snap because i can choose my own foods. however, when i am buying more healthy proteins and vegetables, i run out of benefits by the third week of the month. thankfully, i still have the food pantry to provide additional fresh and frozen meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables. i love growing dark vegetables in my backyard. being able to pay for the plants with snap is great. but i wish i could have -- like local gardeners and groceries, i would love to be able to buy hot meals with snap on a don't have the stamina to cook. it seems silly that i can buy a cold rusted chicken that is dry when we heat it, instead of a hot juicy one. the seniors farmer markers -- favorite programs because the produce is usually locally grown, organic and fresh. most of the markets that except the voucher are in pittsburgh, so my direct care workers take me since i am unable to drive in city traffic. it would be nice if the voucher could be increased and it could be used towards home delivering community supported agriculture or c s e produce -- are used to see if the senior food box once a month, would help me if there were fewer processed foods. a little more variety, and quantities more suited to one person households. for example, i can't go through two large boxes of cereal each month. also, the senior box is a bit heavy for me to carry. finally, home delivery meals have been a godsend. especially after my most recent hospitalization. while coalescing, convalescing, i could grab one out of the freezer and have a quick meal. i am encouraged to learn that the needs of older adults will receive more focus as new dietary guidelines are established, so that more of us can benefit from a service. all of these programs provide invaluable -- to older americans i believe the key to approving them is to offer more flexibility, more access to healthy foods and more efforts to reduce barriers to access, like transportation, delivery options and easier, simplified applications. thank you for the opportunity to share my story and for considering the needs of older adults. >> well elayne, thank so much for your testimony and for being willing to tell your stories. that is one of the most significant parts of these hearings, when someone is able to, as you all have, in one way or another, relayed your own experiences. i was going to start with questions for you but in the interests of time, i want to make sure that folks know that -- we have senators that are in and out of hearings, for example this morning senator warnock was here with us earlier and senator rick scott also was here earlier, they have to go to another engagement and another hearing, senator rosen is here and i see my time to her so she can ask for questions. and get to where she has to get to. >> thank you, senator, casey, chairman casey, ranking member scott, this hearing is so important. all the hearings of this committee are so thoughtful and relevant and important. i appreciate both of you organizing them and i really appreciate you all for being here, sharing your stories, talking about your work. and the impact it has and the needs that are really out there and what it means, it is so important. just like the chairman. says that we to tell your stories and show your work at that help us put meaning behind the legislation that we do to support everyone around the country, in this case seniors. and the flexibilities and delivery, this is really important because i've heard from seniors all across nevada about the success of the pandemic related flexibilities of the grab and go meals, the drive-through options, we have drive-through options, maybe all of a senior centers, and it has been really an important way to ensure that seniors cannot continue to receive those healthy meals that they need and -- driving through with them, if they are unable to drive so moving forward nevada seniors are -- so they can feed people, nothing is more important in feeding people right. so we want to provide services for so people can get them where they. are >> you continue speak to how georgia has approached meal delivery over the last few years, how you have seen the drive-through options play out in your state and how i -- flexibility some of them permanent go such a long way in how to serve our communities. >> thank you for the question, senator. rosen well, certainly in georgia with the pandemic we definitely leverage drive-through meal options for seniors. and also even texted the option. we have turned our transportation that would bring seniors to the senior centers than when they would be open to the nba sources by which we can get meals out. certainly these seniors have and our senior senators as well as our agencies on aging have said that absolutely, allowing for flexibilities have been huge and -- having a drive-through option is one that has definitely been a value, continues to be used still in georgia. >> thank you, i kind of want to build on that for the other witnesses, because we have been able to use technology and nutrition. and i cosponsored the expanding snap options act, it was included in the american rescue plan, it is going to increase those online purchasing options for the s.n.a.p. program where you can have things delivered right to your door, maybe you don't need the two boxes of cereal, one small box is fine, we can better use those resources. and i am pleased that through those efforts and seniors and their families have access to 15 online snap retailers, of course we need to reduce more barriers because only 48% of eligible seniors enroll in the s.n.a.p. program. i think partially because it concerns over our application -- from unfamiliarity with technology. mr. everett and the doctor walker, in the time we have left, can both of you talk about the role that we think technology can play in getting some of this healthy tailored to that person's household options delivered right to their door? >> absolutely. senator rosen, i completely agree. i think it is a great question and i think when we have opportunities to strengthen accessibility and make s.n.a.p. a more user friendly program, people will use it. i think we have been able to see that, certainly we saw that during the pandemic by increasing s.n.a.p. benefits that made it more accessible for folks and made the process of going through the application process a more warranted process. for them to go through. but purchasing online makes s.n.a.p. inherently more accessible, particularly for folks that are still a little bit nervous about going into a grocery store. with rising rates of the flu, as well as covid. so, we know that older adults certainly prefer this option. increasing and simplifying the way in which they engage technology is certainly critical. and ensuring, since nevada is such a rural state, in many respects, making sure that everybody has access to broad bates, all of these things are interconnected, when we are looking at s.n.a.p. accessibility for the adult population. >> couldn't agree more, dr. walker. >> yes. so i agree, senator rosen and, that technology has been a part of this. i want to take this opportunity to high blight, because the pandemic we had to figure out how we are going to leverage more technology where we could, and so things like increasing access to tablets for seniors has meant that they have begun where they might not have been comfortable, both a staff and people as seniors directly to use the system, to leverage technology in a sense to just reach out, to get nutrition education, and so now the step of now being able to access more ways to get your groceries online, his one seems it could be more receptive to, that also opens our opportunity to work with our community partners who have been a great, in the gap organization for us to help seniors who can't just easily navigate the services and be able to say, what you need. we will order it for you and get it there. and are being the pick up person them ourselves. this has been. huge >> thank you very much. >> thank you mister chairman, really appreciate -- >> thank you senator rosen. i will turn it to ranking member scott. thank you mister chairman. mr. gilroy, is it something that i think was spot on. the checks don't go as far as they used to. i would love for you to expound on pound that a little bit but can you help us understand, not just the numbers but the people who are affected by the impact of inflation and rising prices. i would love to hear your thoughts. >> you know, i think that what we are seeing or, are people who are not in these programs for life but we are filling a gap for them. we every statistic has a face. i think that is the important piece to consider. i think over gentlemen who is a 64 bullet retired construction worker who is getting by but his refrigerator went out and faced with an additional cost, if caused him to fall behind on his rent and fall behind on his utilities. and he came to us and we were able to provide food, personal hygiene items, get his rent caught up and pay his utilities off and it just allowed him to get out of a tough spot and get back to normal life and he is now not -- that is kind of our goal, to kind of be a stopgap, an area that we can help people. that are facing short term issues and get them back on the road. and so he is a perfect example. and, people, several people that we deal with on a short term basis that we provide a couple of bags of groceries, some cleaning supplies, and some help and it gets them through the month. >> thank you, and one of the things master spoke about as well is that stopgap, being able to use assistance in the fourth week of month, three weeks worth, that is really important point that you made, as well as mr. gilroy, i would love to ask you to, mr. gilroy, reflect on, i missed the number, i think it was 23% of your grandparents are supporting grandkids in the households. a number seems about right to me. maybe even a little higher in certain communities but the truth is i would love for you to talk about the impact of that. as well. >> well, i think that the issue we have is that people are living on fixed incomes are getting by. they have figured out how to do that. but that all the sudden they are life is structured by having additional people in the household and the responsible for caring for them. i go back to the woman that i mentioned. she was getting by. but all of a sudden here is three teenagers. i can't imagine three teenagers in the house. how much groceries they would eat. but she came to us and we were able to help them out. i think there's a fair amount of people we see that are facing similar issues. where life all of a sudden changes. and they don't know how to deal with it. and it is just an honor to work with echo to know that we are helping people out. >> thank you mister gilroy. i've one more question for. you i would say that the bulk two or three years ago when the number came out that about 48 or 49% of americans did not have more than $500 in their savings account. so, having been than american, when i was a younger adults, realizing that when you are -- when you blow a tire, it is not just a bad thing, it is a crisis. when your refrigerator goes out, it is not just an alarming situation, it is a crisis. when you have three young boys look move in your house, let us pray. that might be more than a crisis. that is a challenge, -- i know much how a now, but the truth is that so many of our nations, american family, when we have a single incident, happen, it is not just uncomfortable, or gosh, which that wouldn't have happened. it leads to a crisis. and then the dime no effect, that we sometimes don't really appreciate, when one thing goes down, it is a multiplier effect. it is really hard to catch up. so hearing about you organizations that help folks catch up and get back to a plateau, to a place where they can sustain themselves, i think it is a really important part of the consideration which -- as congress moving forward as well. mr. gilroy, the one question i did have for you, i thought it was an interesting concept, the point system. so that the point you are making, the folks that are benefiting from the food programs are having a balanced diet. will you just walk us through, 30 seconds or so, what, how that point system works? >> basically, we have a -- intake for a client. it determines both how many people are in have. and then to order directly online what they want which i think is a big step forward that you get what you want not what i want to give you. but we also design it so you just cannot get it all or so many of every different food categories so it requires you to look at a more balanced meal plan just snacks or items. also look at the health issues so they are diabetic or hypertension we will design their selection you will not get assaulted green beans just only low-salt green beans it is a simplified process to do the best that we can to provide equality and food supply by the numbers of people and also provide healthy patterns. >> i do love the fact you are taking into consideration the impact of the choices they make spec thank you for holding this hearing because nutritional food is so important and five.2 million adults age 60 and older but that percentage of older adults are food insecure during 2020. and that food insecurity is largely hidden in homes that are and visited and people don't want to talk about it. there are infinite ways to solve that problem because 40 percent of all food goes to waste. 40 percent of all the food produced in america is unused. it often goes to landfills where it contributes to contamination it consists of vegetables or produce from supermarkets because it doesn't look right. they want to get it off the shelf even though it is perfectly good because it hasn't bruise or a dark mark. we have all eaten fruit and has a bruise we volleyed the vegetable that may not be same day delivery to the store. we have all eaten cheese that may have mold on it. cut away the mold. i do that quite a bit in dc because i am here only three nights a week generally. so the challenge for america seems to be how to make better use of food that is discarded by supermarkets, restaurants those who are given a sell by date which means for them food is unusual bowl after that date when it is perfectly good but the supermarket wants you to thank you need to buy more. i have introduced a measure the food donation improvement act of 2021 this would eliminate the legal roadblocks and obstacles that discourage food donation by restaurants, retailers to create an opportunity for more nutritious food going to people who need it. the challenge is not simple but new technology gives us under what period of time or restaurants there are companies in connecticut using that technology i would be interested to hear from anyone who wants to volunteer about your thoughts on that topic. >> thank you for your comment. food waste is an enormous issue we throw away or waste about 100 billion pounds of food that is enough to ensure that all food insecure people in the united states would have access to three meals a day. so if you are better able to utilize those resources. it is not pound for pound what people need for a healthy diet but it is a huge issue so we are not only creating higher rates of food insecurity but also so anything we can do is say word cover the food from the cafeterias and those that are prepared but not served instead of thrown away they repurpose for afterschool programs and senior centers or different types of interventions and those who don't have access to food the simple way to reduce thousands of pounds of food going into landfills where we can produce food insecurity. >> my time is expired. do we have another comment quick. >> i would just love to say that this campus kitchens that has been open to leverage that but from our end addressing hunger includes food waste and reclamation although still in early stages part of that is all the way up to organizations to leverage that partnership so we are excited to have organizations to help be that bridge this is where the food is and this is where it needs to go and with those resources that we are providing the proper funding with the state and federal strategy to think about that because that is the issue to build the bridge. >> thank you senator blumenthal. >> before i got to the senate and ran a company for 37 years in the last 15 years insurance was going to the roof and we fix that make it is system based on good nutrition, good living in while it was a great investment. and then if you have sown the seeds good nutrition early on in life. and you have to have the right mechanism we have a home in indiana it's a prime example of letting the private sector to have the better feel with the lay of the land and then to be there from businesses with the best in latest and with that technology to dispense it so my question is so give me your opinion on how do we incentivize more of that private sector collaboration with local government? may be at the largest scale state governments to bring innovative and new opportunities to tackle these food related issues with the older american community. >> thank you for your leadership in the space to address hunger in the way to lead the efforts. we are very grateful for your leadership in this particular space. >> what we talked about all the time is as a collaborative research proximity and public policy so if you think about that then if we misidentify the realities and the causes of food insecurity that we are almost always going to develop solutions that don't work you can't have a problem from a distance you have to have proximity so when you marry proximity those on a daily basis you see this issue or those organizations on the front line are better able to accurately identify what are scalable solutions quick so no one sector this is not just the federal government issue or a local congregation issue but all of the above if you bring business together with government nonprofit and faith communities and universities that's where we see transformative change happen serving on the congressional commission we saw that food insecurity looked very different than it did in urban america working with the usda where we mailboxes of food to children who lived in remote america so remote we took seaplanes and mule teams all over america to get food to children when the shutdown happened that has to be leveraged the rate in which they are growing to have targeted interventions and to be a leader in that process. >> back in indiana i talked to so many places in the business to get food to those in need grappling not only with the high cost of food with getting what they need on their shelves to the folks that needed but how do you keep employees and how do you wrestle with that side of it when it has been difficult as we navigate through covid? are you seeing improvement? is that described how you manage through that and are you seeing light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to cost getting out to folks in need with supplies and staffing as well. >> cost is a big thing we are facing and we are always looking for access to be perfectly honest to buy food to feed people but we have an army of volunteers and tapping into them is a huge godsend because we don't pay them anything and it works out very effectively to get them involved in the process to fill the slots we cannot fill getting people back to work is very difficult and is nice to see the volunteers step up. >> it's good to hear that is occurring because having stuff go up in cost is one thing not having the staff to be there to deliver the goods is another thank you for your insight. >> i will post the questions now thank you for your testimony and for traveling here to be with us and we thank all the witnesses for doing that but i want to start by asking about your story that you provided by way of your testimony today you highlighted the federal nutrition program plays eating healthy foods is critical to maintain little and improve your health and support your independence unquote i understand you understand the snap program because you can choose your own foods and access a greater variety of fresh foods you also noted using the senior farmers market voucher because you can purchase locally grown fresh food so can you share with the committee why programs like snap or the senior farmers market nutrition program as well as the home delivered meals program is helpful to you? >> absolutely. i had resisted signing up for snap four years i felt as long as i was self-employed i would leave the funds for somebody more in need but when i became disabled not only did i have the invisible disability but a became part of the invisible poor you would not know i needed support so to have programs like this available to me do i sign up for do i not there was a lot processed food and high sodium and sugars and things that negatively impacted my health. so when i went on the snap program i could buy fresh produce, healthier proteins. after having done a lot of research what my body needed i did not have to worry about when is my next meal going to come and what will it look like and these programs have helped me to address my health needs to have a sense of comfort and alleviation of the stress involved dealing with those topics it enables me to have more energy to focus on healing than how i just survive. >> and is not based on an analysis but on your own life i will come back in a moment but you highlighted in your testimony federal nutrition assistance program is essential to reducing senior hunger and with the release and we also know the nation's asian population is to grow exponentially and that could be an understatement in the coming years with the federal nutrition program so what has the older americans act meant to older adults who need nutritional support? >> they are critical interventions for more than 50 percent of the eligible older adults don't participate but for those who do it is a lifeline when you are on a fixed income you can imagine what it's like for an individual who may have projected what they needed to retire on. to have a fixed income now they are taking care of three teenage kids it's not like they get a raise to do so. programs like snap with meals on wheels is a lifeline for those who find themselves in those circumstances. >> talk about the farm bill there has been a great marriage getting seniors for they are able to better leverage a farm bill service as well. and that is a great catching connecting seniors once they make the first step and then you start to learn about others that are available so that is a huge event so if you qualify for one program you likely qualify for others so it's huge to provide a nice wraparound for those who are most in need. >> my last question will be for elaine masters. you sharing your testimony you appreciate both fresh fruits and vegetables and they understand you purchase plans to grow in your backyard with your snap benefits and you participate in the seniors farmers market nutrition program. and a local food pantry has a community garden to support participants who need healthy and fresh fruits and vegetables in the past. can you share how you access fresh foods and what more can be done to ensure older adults and those with disabilities have reliable access to these types of products? >> absolutely. thank you for the question. the fact that i can grow some of my own foods by a being able to purchase plans with snap is a tremendous opportunity. i can pick something off of the vine in my own backyard. but having the farm bill to go to a farmers market where they really have just been picked and brought to the market allows me to have produce at will keep a little longer in my refrigerator that it don't have to cook up that day. that is great. the food banks supplement what i get at the grocery store and that allows me to be more targeted so to use snap at the farmers market there is one in addition to what you are using for the farm bill voucher is just wonderful being able to shop at a variety of stores that allows me to shop around and get the best price and the best bang for my buck and healthy proteins and to shop online when i'm having a rough day some days i'm not able to get to the store and so to shop online and have things ready for pickup or delivery is a wonderful option. i think in terms of additional support as mentioned by doctor walker and mr. everett, the cumbersome application process is difficult. it may be due to stress or age but filling out applications can be tough and a barrier. have been transportation and delivery options is key. if you cannot get to it it really doesn't do you any good. so the role that deliveries can do to have a delivery option would be absolutely fantastic. i really appreciate senator casey your work with those nutrition guidelines. we have different needs and conditions so that would be essential and how we see food as medicine moving forward thank you for this work. >> one of the things we talked about is making sure seniors can eat well that's a very important part what i have come across is that more than one third of older of individuals suffer from loneliness it is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. i am not sure we couldn't use an entire hearing of the impact that loneliness has on our seniors across the country i would love to dig into that information can be able to see the increasing levels of loneliness and prescriptions of antidepressants because of loneliness i think it is incredibly important topic that we don't spend a lot of time on and frankly don't recognize the negative impacts it's having on too many people and too many places to not only do as members of congress but family and friends and community members to stay in touch and engage whether to face time or in person but to bridge the gap were too many people are living alone. >> thank you for the question. this is so timely to talk about. we actually just hired a team of two to come in with the division of aging services to do a deep dive on isolation and this is a two-year project to look at what services we offer and dad expands out from in person how critical it is to have seniors come to our senior centers is not just the meal but the staff participating in the other programming to address social isolation but also looking at the importance of technology and access saying that way what role for those online and things like that? this is an important topic working on how we can bridge that quick. >> . >> i appreciate the question to say i was hungry and you gave me food and to give food is to give life as a double meaning if we are eating food we are eating with friends and family members think of the double conundrum so think about interventions like meals on wheels it's one of my favorite interventions as a nation and because you have volunteers providing hot meals every day to individuals who are living in isolation my grandparents living with early stages of alzheimer's. we were unaware they were missing meals on a regular basis not until the doctor identified they were missing meals and then we found out when they were not they were driving to the local sonic to get a hot dog so it didn't have high nutritional value. there church spring into action partnered with a local community to make sure they have access to food on a regular basis that was a life-saving intervention for my grandparents to ensure the latter stages of their lives were those that were well lived but most meals on wheels have a very long waiting list. so seeing the growing population with high rates of food insecurity one way to reduce isolation is a greater resource like meals on wheels to get food to families who needed the most. >> and in the jewish tradition and then to think about that in a different way with the prism of loneliness to impact our seniors. >> i am told senator gillibrand would like to ask virtually. >> americans should not have to worry where the next meal will come from that yet in 2020 older americans are food insecure estimating seven.six are food insecure with those racial minorities those living below the poverty line and then to increase the likelihood of chronic health conditions among older adults and reducing capacity and i recently sent a bipartisan letter to appropriators requesting the appropriations bill to include one.$93 billion of funding and then those nutrition services which critically support the delivery of nutritious meals to adults throughout the country. thank you for sharing some of your work to promote affordable and healthy food how to strong funding with the collaborative with that strategy for cultivating solutions to and hunger? how does that boost the cooperation quick. >> thank you senator. to begin one way this will have a huge impact so this is an issue that came up earlier and the importance of this particular intervention, what we're trying if you think of the average individual at a household level at the insurmountable issues this particular funding if they do have access to transportation are limited access this provides resources to get food directly to the front porches and so without those supports that puts additional amount of stress on the household living on a fixed income which is also going to put those who are raised in that context and those in need adequate access as well so this funding package to the local level which has a downstream effect but the quality of life for children that they are finding themselves raising. >> in terms of barriers older adults live with at least one chronic condition to take medications with unique considerations they create barriers to access programs like snap and the food banks transportation can also hinder access and to reliable transportation especially in rural areas to complicate those who do not drive. home delivered meal programs with the working age population 84 percent of area agencies offering to provide for older adults. based on your experience and then to assist healthy and affordable food? >> those are truly the backbone of the work they know their counties and the needs in georgia. we have an interesting mix of urban and rural spaces and there is a county of diversity of need and some things are very close and the aaa is a critical connection for us to understand where those pockets of senior centers are and also the placements of other organizations in those areas to allow for that partnership. one of the great things for us is we have 12 singular single coalition to allow us to invite nonprofit and for-profit seniors and staff allowing them to come together to understand what the gaps are and the resources in the opportunities. our work would not happen without the aaa providing the groundwork in those regions. >> thank you for this hearing mr. chairman. >> we now move to close in today's hearing we heard powerful testimony to combat senior hunger, senior malnutrition as well as food insecurity and learned about the challenges older adults face when they tried to put food on the table the task force act will provide recommendations to addressing girl on hunger more holistically we can and should be doing more. senate bill 50952 provide funding to the administration for community living to implement the recommendations of the task force created in the other piece of legislation of the task force act. and with those services and the bipartisan work to address the nutrition needs of older adults can help build upon the 50 years of benefits provided by the nutrition program but with the right investment and those that can promote health and build community congress must continue to support programs like the older adults act nutrition program seniors market and senior food markets and snap. also providing reference to streamline and many states including pennsylvania participated in the elderly simplified application project going by e-a s ostp. this makes it easier for older adults to apply for snap. because of 61 percent of older and individuals are now involved in snap which is higher than the national average 61 is better than 47 nationally and those who are eligible to be enrolled yet to make sure every eligible senior is enrolled. but we also know that more has to be done on these programs and on these issues in that robust and timely data enables congress to make more targeted efforts for nutrition programming. i look forward to work with my colleagues to improve access to nutritious foods and before i turn to ranking member scott i went to think the ranking member for his work as a committee member but more recently the last two years and this congress it's hard to believe two years have gone by that fast but i want to thank him for his leadership and his work and the work of his staff thank you to the ranking member scott and i recognize him for his closing remarks. >> so many americans around the country wonder if congress is broken. does anything happen in a bipartisan fashion but two things that do happen and anna bipartisan your and it is a testament to who you are an outline of opportunity that we call america there's so much it has to be done and the more we focus on the american people that we find solutions of the american people thankful to your staff role they've done and certainly my staff is where we are today and surrounded by such amazing professionals who are committed to the cause and thank you to the witnesses who bring your expertise to the table it's a privilege to know the better off we engage is the more likely we are to find solutions. thank you for your hard work the community organization that is help so many people throughout south carolina. i think the best days are ahead. it will take all of us to make that a reality but if i focus. >> i do hope that we do tackle the issue of loneliness and i do hope the day comes we have a serious conversation about how we deal with it not necessarily but what is very close to that reality 50 years later we are still celebrating the older americans act because it has been so effective and now celebrating something new the more i read the murray research and realize we have something sitting in front of us that is so obvious with the same vigilance we have tackle the issue of nutrition. think mr. chairman. >> thank you so much and thank you to the witnesses once again. i want to thank each of you to be here to provide your expertise and personal experience. for the record and duty-bound to say any senators have questions or statements to be added the hearing record is open for seven days until decemd thank you for participating. happy holidays in this concludes our hearing. 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