Why Are We Encouraging Struggling Seniors to Enroll in SNAP?

3. Far from being a drag on the economy, SNAP is a spur.

Every $5 spent on SNAP adds $9.20 to the economy, supporting jobs at food processors, grocery stores and farms.

4. Both corporate and individual donations to food banks and other nonprofit antihunger organizations have plummeted in the last few years.

Meanwhile, the number of people asking for help increased.

5. SNAP is literally the food source of last resort for millions of Americans, including older adults.

Eighty-five percent of households receiving SNAP benefits have incomes below the federal poverty level (in 2010, $22,050 for a family of four), and 43 percent are at or below half of the poverty level ($11,025 for a family of four).

These are some of the reasons AARP Foundation is helping educate and enroll older people in SNAP. There is no reason for anyone in the United States to go hungry today, including older people - who have been the backbone of the nation's economy in previous decades.

Becky Squires is a writer-editor for AARP Foundation.