The Rotary Club of Solon participated in a roundtable with Congressman David Joyce and a number of Solon Seniors to discuss topical issues facing seniors in our community. The event, held on October 16th at the Solon Community Center, covered issues which fall under the “The Older Americans Act,” ranging from senior safety, in-home services, and nutrition programs.
The Rotary Club of Solon participated in a roundtable with Congressman David Joyce and a number of Solon Seniors to discuss topical issues facing seniors in our community. The event, held on October 16th at the Solon Community Center, covered issues which fall under the “The Older Americans Act,” ranging from senior safety, in-home services, and nutrition programs.
A key topic for the roundtable centered around seniors at risk of hunger, right in the Solon community. Across the country, one in six seniors are at hunger risk, while in Solon, one in ten seniors qualify for food assistance based on federal poverty guidelines. This risk is so great that these seniors in need often must make a choice between critical medicines and food.
The seniors in attendance each wrote personalized pleas for help with fighting hunger, as shown on the plates in the accompanying photo. Congressman Joyce was happy to meet with so many people in one place.
For our part, the Rotary Club of Solon contributes to the fight against hunger with our three food assistance programs: Solon Mobile Food Pantry, Sacks for Seniors, and a Produce distribution. Each month, the Mobile Food pantry distributes food in cooperation with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to families in need, both in Solon and the surrounding cities. During its five years in existence, our Mobile Food Pantry has served over 11,000 families, providing over 250,000 pounds of food.
The Sacks for Seniors program extends the Mobile Food Pantry further into the community by delivering food to those seniors in need but who cannot travel to the food pantry. From its inception last year, we are now delivering to 14 Solon households each month. Our latest program will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors in need, fulfilling a key component of their daily nutritional requirements.
We would like to extend our warmest appreciation to Jill Frankel, Director of the City of Solon Dept. of Senior Services, and Yvette Hasan, Senior Center Social worker, for hosting this roundtable and for their valuable contributions to making our Mobile Food Pantry a success since 2012.