MDHS: Senior Nutrition Programs address food insecurity for aging Mississippians

Below is a press launch from The Mississippi Department of Human Services:

As meals costs proceed to extend, Mississippians over 60 years previous can simply connect with companies that present socialization, diet, and contribute to the general well being and well-being of older people. 

The Mississippi Department of Human Services Senior Nutrition Program goals to cut back older Mississippians’ starvation, meals insecurity, and malnutrition.  

Through the company’s Division of Aging and Adult Services, senior adults can entry home-delivered meals and congregate meal areas throughout the state. 

Home-delivered meals are meals supplied to eligible homebound individuals of their properties.  

Congregate meals are served in group settings akin to senior facilities, church buildings, or senior housing communities. Meal websites provide a chance to fulfill associates and have interaction in social actions whereas having a nutritious meal. 

Services are supplied in all 82 Mississippi counties by way of the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). To connect with the AAA in your county, please go to Area Agencies on Aging – Mississippi Department of Human Services (ms.gov). 

Another program often called the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provided by MDHS can complement the diets of older Mississippians by offering them with emergency meals and diet help for free of charge. MDHS supplies the meals to native meals banks, which distribute the gadgets to over 500 meals pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters throughout the state. 

For extra info or to find a meals pantry, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter close to you, go to – My Resources (ms.gov) *Food pantry companies can be found to all eligible Mississippians no matter age. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) shortens the interview with a case supervisor, making the verification course of a lot simpler. 

Eligibility employees use information matching to confirm an applicant’s info from different authorities information techniques with out all the paperwork of the standard software course of. Once submitted, the eligibility employee sees that the applying matches ESAP; it’s moved instantly into the ESAP standing. 

ESAP households won’t be given a set certification interval. However, such households will likely be required to return an interim report supplied every year for reporting adjustments in family revenue or family dimension. 

Everyone within the family should be no less than 60 years previous and don’t have any earned revenue to qualify for the Elderly Simplified Application. The profit quantities are primarily based on revenue and family dimension.   

To decide eligibility for SNAP advantages or to use, please go to the Pre-Assessment Pre-Assessment | Common Web Portal (ms.gov)