WASHINGTON, May 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP
Foundation today announced the expansion of its annual meal pack
challenge from one event in Washington,
D.C., to a Summer of Service to Seniors℠ involving four
events in four cities, beginning in Memphis, Tennessee. With the support of
presenting sponsor AARP® Credit Card from Chase, and
title sponsors The Hartford and UnitedHealthcare®, these
events will bring thousands of volunteers together to fight senior
poverty and hunger in cities across the country. Meal-packing
events will take place in Memphis
on June 3, Denver on July
9, Minneapolis-St. Paul on
August 6, and the culminating two-day
event on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C., on September 10 and
11.
In addition to 1 million meals already packed in Ft. Lauderdale
last month, Summer of Service to Seniors volunteers will pack 3
million meals at the four upcoming events, for a grand total of 4
million meals this year for hungry seniors.
Data from the 2012 Current Population Survey and the 2010 census
show that more than 10 million Americans age 50 or older struggle
every day with limited or inadequate access to affordable,
nutritious food. AARP Foundation is bringing together nonprofit,
government and corporate stakeholders in the food and health
sectors to reform the food supply system by creating solutions to
fight food insecurity and hunger.
"Even though senior hunger exists in every community across the
country, it's one of America's best-kept secrets. Senior hunger is
hidden hunger, and hunger is a health issue," said AARP Foundation
President Lisa Marsh Ryerson.
"The issue of senior hunger is a critical one to focus on,
especially as the senior population will nearly double by 2040
according to Feeding America," said Leslie
Gillin, President of Co-Brand Cards at Chase. "We are proud
to once again be part of the Summer of Service to Seniors and,
through the AARP Credit Card from Chase program, will continue to
raise funds to combat this issue alongside AARP Foundation."
A survey1 funded by the Foundation last month shows a
disconnect between how respondents save money on groceries and the
realities faced by those with food insecurity.
- Roughly 65 percent of respondents purchased store-brand
(generic) items to save money, while many low-income older adults
live in identified "food deserts" and may not have any access to
generic items.
- Over half of respondents shopped at multiple grocery stores to
find the best deal. By contrast, low-income older adults with
mobility issues or lack of transportation, or who live in areas
with only one grocery store, are unable to take advantage of
comparison shopping in this way.
"By expanding our Summer of Service to Seniors to four cities,
we're calling attention to the fact that too many low-income older
adults have to choose between buying groceries and using that money
for other essentials, like medicine. The negative impact on
well-being is enormous," Ryerson said.
Meal packing events during the Summer of Service to Seniors are
part of AARP Foundation's larger effort to increase economic
opportunities and social connections that help prevent and reduce
senior poverty.
The first 2017 Summer of Service to Seniors event will take
place in Memphis and include
volunteers from across the state of Tennessee. "In Memphis, more than 140,000
seniors receive SNAP benefits," Ryerson noted. "The need is real.
We encourage Memphians to learn more and volunteer to help
vulnerable older adults in their communities."
For details on how to volunteer and other information, visit
MealPackChallenge.org.
About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundationworks
to ensure that low-income older adults have nutritious food,
affordable, livable and healthy housing, a steady income, and
strong and sustaining bonds. We collaborate with individuals and
organizations who share our commitment to innovation and our
passion for problem-solving. Supported by vigorous legal advocacy,
we create and advance effective solutions that help struggling
older adults transform their lives. AARP Foundation is the
affiliated charity of AARP. Learn more at
aarpfoundation.org.
About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and
commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:
JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of
$2.5 trillion and operations
worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America's households with a
broad range of financial services, including personal banking,
credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small
business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and
where they want to bank: 5,300 branches, 18,000 ATMs, mobile,
online and by phone. For more information, go to
Chase.com.
About The Hartford
The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty
insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200
years of expertise, The Hartford
is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability
practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and
its financial performance is available
at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on
Twitter
at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG)
operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The
Hartford, and is headquartered in
Hartford, Conn. For additional
details, please read The Hartford's legal
notice.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is
dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, military service members,
retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million
physicians and care professionals and 6,000 hospitals and other
care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the
businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune
50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit
UnitedHealthcare at uhc.com or follow @myUHC on
Twitter.
1 The study was conducted for AARP Foundation by
Research Now®, an independent research company, via its
OmniPulse® Omnibus Survey. This online survey was fielded
from March 20-23, 2017, among a
sample of 1,232 respondents age 18+. The sampling is U.S. Census
balanced through outbound targeting on age, ethnicity, gender,
region and income.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarp-foundation-announces-expanded-summer-of-service-to-seniors-aimed-at-raising-awareness-of-older-adult-poverty-and-food-insecurity-300465424.html
SOURCE AARP