Older Adults Went Without Food Aid During Shutdown

Robert Font, 62, is raising six grandchildren in San Antonio, Texas. He said he’s been cutting back on pantry staples to stretch his SNAP benefits, concerned he might not receive them this month if delays continued.

“I had to start buying more canned goods, more beans, more rice — things that kids get tired of eating all the time,” he says. “I had to change up my routine, and now I’m just waiting to see what happens.”

To stay on top of bills, Font says, he picked up odd jobs to supplement his income from being a city crossing guard.

“It wears me down,” he says. “I had surgery on my left foot two weeks ago. I’m not supposed to be on my foot … but bills don’t stop. So I don’t stop moving.”

Other adults have visited food pantries while SNAP was unavailable.

“To try and prepare myself [for the lapse], I went to the food bank,” says Todd Endsley, of Hibbs, Pennsylvania, who’s in his 60s. “There was nothing there to make a meal out of except for hamburger.”

Todd Endsley and his wife Linda haven't received SNAP benefits because of the ongoing shutdown.

Courtesy Todd Endsley

Endsley says the monthly benefit of around $141 helps him purchase nutritious food, especially for his wife, Linda, who has diabetes. Both have had several surgeries — his for injuries he sustained while serving a decade in the U.S. Army.

For the Endsleys, SNAP has been a lifeline. Without it, their cost of living would be too high on their limited income, and they’d likely be in a nursing home, Todd Endlsey says. 

Their story is like that of many others facing uncertainty about their next meal.

A November poll from Feeding America, a nonprofit network of 200 food banks, found that more than 75 percent of respondents believe the continued shutdown will exacerbate hunger, and more than 80 percent say it would force households to skip meals.

Communities see spike in food needs

AARP has long championed the importance of SNAP for older adults, who depend on it for access to nutritious food to support their health and independence as they age. Many recipients see these federal benefits as a way to stretch a limited income to cover basic needs. Without these payments, food banks around the country are seeing older residents struggle.

“Over the past few weeks, our partners have seen a 37 percent increase in visits, including a significant surge in first-time visitors who’ve never needed food assistance before,” a statement from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma said.

Micah Chrisman, director of marketing and communications for Manna FoodBank in western North Carolina, says more than half the pantries in its network have seen an increase in older clients.Though some states stepped in to provide temporary emergency funding, officials said this is not sustainable and cannot replace the largest antihunger program in the nation.

“SNAP is a crucial federal responsibility that no state can absorb,” the office of Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee stated in a press release just days before congressional inaction forced SNAP benefits to lapse.

For the Endsleys, the community has stepped up to support them.

After taking to TikTok to shed light on what many Americans are facing nationwide, their story took off, and commenters encouraged them to create a fundraising page to help pay their bills. Todd Endlsey says he was reluctant, but donations soon poured in. The couple was floored by the generosity and said they plan to share with other families facing food insecurity.

“We were just baffled, looking at each other like, There are other people who need help [too],” Todd Endlsey says.

Sometimes older adults avoid seeking assistance to preserve resources for others whom they perceive to be more in need. In other cases, stigma plays a role in deterring people from applying for SNAP.

Todd Endsley says it can be difficult to speak up about needing support from programs like SNAP.

“You get frowned upon like you’re a bum, like you’re worthless,” he says. “So, what do you do? You just keep quiet about everything.”

If you’re in need of food assistance, these resources can help.