Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program kicks off June 1st

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program returns to South Carolina on Wednesday, June 1st.

Every 12 months the Department of Social Services companions with the USDA and senior serving organizations to offer nutritious produces to seniors in all 46 counties. To qualify the senior should be age 60 or older with a yearly earnings of round $23,000 or much less. Each will obtain 25 {dollars} within the type of 5 checks to buy the produce. 

“We know that senior residents face quite a lot of points whether or not it’s loneliness, perhaps they’ve points with transportation or that they want somebody to assist them with their grocery purchasing and each day process. This is only a small manner during which we may also help put some vegatables and fruits of their fingers. We know that the value of meals like many issues goes up as we’re coping with inflation as a rustic,” says Connelly-Anne Ragley with the Department of Social Services. 

Ragley additionally says sometimes this system receives round 20 thousand functions annually.  The final two years as a result of pandemic the appliance course of was on-line and it introduced many challenges for seniors. 

“When they full the appliance, current their picture identification and if it’s accepted, it is going to be accepted proper there on the spot and they’ll be capable of take these 5 greenback vouchers residence with them. So they gained’t have to come back again to a website to choose up the vouchers. They gained’t have to attend for one thing within the mail and we gained’t need to do on-line functions. So I wish to be actually clear you must apply in individual,” says Ragley.

Erika McCurley with Mccurley Farms is taking part in this system and says these seniors deserve the freshest produce.

“I hope that they’ll come right here and know that we’re advocates for them, that we would like them to have the ability to have entry to life and vitamin and that’s an essential a part of how you reside. If you don’t eat correctly your physique can’t perform effectively. And so by having recent vegatables and fruits, South Carolina grown solely, then we’re capable of give them what they want.” says McCurley.

The following is an inventory of the appliance places for Columbia:

• Hopkins Park  – 150 Hopkins Park Rd. Hopkins, SC 29061
  • Open June 6 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Grace United Methodist Church – 410 Harbison Blvd. Columbia, SC 29212
  • Open June 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Mt. Nebo Baptist Church – 8801 Bluff Rd. Eastover, SC 29044
  • Open June 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Delta Life Development Ctr. – 5307 Fairfield Rd. Columbia, SC 29203
  • Open June 9 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Killian Park Rec. Center – 1424 Marthan Rd. Blythewood, SC 29016
  • Open June 10 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Senior Resources, Inc. – 2817 Millwood Ave. Columbia, SC 29205
  • Open June 13 from 1-3 p.m.

The vouchers are on a first-come, first serve foundation.