Open Table, the MetroWest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities, has been awarded a $7,000 grant from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation in support for senior services. Open Table will use the grant to address food insecurity among senior citizens in its service area.
With 20 percent of its clients identifying as seniors, Open Table has long worked in collaboration with local councils on aging and housing authorities to provide groceries and prepared meals to seniors through its fresh-air pantry, mobile pantries and home delivery services.
“Research tells us that the senior population is increasing in our communities and that economic and food insecurity is prevalent in this population,” said Alexandra DePalo, executive director, Open Table. “The Greater Lowell Community Foundation grant will help Open Table respond to increasing demands and expand our capacity to serve food insecure seniors.”
Seniors in Massachusetts experience high rates of economic and food insecurity exacerbated by the high cost of housing, medical care, transportation, and other essential items in the state. According to the Feeding America study, “The State of Senior Hunger in 2020,” 5.3 percent of seniors in Massachusetts are food insecure and 1.8 percent have very low food security, for a state total of 7.1 percent of all seniors. The University of Massachusetts “Living Below the Line, Economic Insecurity and Older Americans” study found that Massachusetts ranked first among all states with 61.7 percent of all single seniors living below the index rate.
