LOS ANGELES (Press Release)—In response to the escalating number of seniors struggling to put food on the table, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger (MAZON) has launched a new initiative, in partnership with the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies (AJFCA), designed to help low-income, food-insecure seniors get the nutrition assistance they need. More specifically, Solutions to Senior Hunger™, which is generously funded by the Walmart Foundation, is designed to reduce the barriers that keep vulnerable seniors from enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“Deeply embedded in Jewish tradition is the belief that the community has an obligation to sustain its most vulnerable,” says Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO at MAZON. “It is unacceptable that a rising number of our nation’s seniors struggle to put meals on the table when we have programs, like SNAP, that could help them buy nutritious food. As the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on issues of hunger, MAZON is uniquely positioned to do this work. We bring almost 30 years of experience in the anti-hunger field, shaped by Jewish values and tradition, to a population that too often suffers in silence.”
Thirteen Jewish Family Service (JFS) agencies in seven states have signed on to participate in this new initiative. With support from MAZON and the AJFCA, these JFS agencies will conduct SNAP outreach and education to senior populations, administer SNAP application assistance for eligible clients, and act as a liaison between the client and their local government agency managing SNAP.
“AJFCA is thrilled to partner with MAZON in this important initiative,” says Lee Sherman, President/CEO of AJFCA. “We have seen a rising trend of seniors in need of increased services across the United States. Solutions to Senior Hunger™ will give participating agencies the tools and resources they need to do more for their senior clients.”
The 13 participating Jewish Family Service (JFS) agencies are:
Jewish Family Service of Colorado
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee
Jewish Family & Community Services of Jacksonville
Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, New Jersey
Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties
Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland
Jewish Family Service of Cincinnati
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh
Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley
Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia
Jewish Family Service of Dallas
Jewish Family Service of Seattle
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Preceding provided by Mazon