Senior Council promotes healthy eating by offering coupons July
1
San Benito County seniors can get free vouchers for fresh
produce at the Hollister farmers market July 1. The Seniors Council
Area Agency on Aging of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties program
will have a booth at the market where staff will hand out the
vouchers and provide nutritional information.
Senior Council promotes healthy eating by offering coupons July 1
San Benito County seniors can get free vouchers for fresh produce at the Hollister farmers market July 1. The Seniors Council Area Agency on Aging of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties program will have a booth at the market where staff will hand out the vouchers and provide nutritional information.
“If they go once and see the great local produce we have, they are much more likely to do it again,” said Clay Kempf, the executive director of the Seniors Council. “That’s the hope – to jump start senior participation in the farmers market.”
The local council has been offering the program for four years, Kempf said and it is part of a $20.6 million USDA national grant to help more than 900,000 low-income seniors through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. To be eligible, seniors 60 or older can have an annual household income of up to $19,420 if single or $25,900 if married.
The program offers $20 worth of coupons that can be exchanged for fresh produce. Seniors will also receive a handout on nutrition and staff will be on site to answer any healthy eating questions they might have. Caren Dix, a registered dietician, and Diane Wilson will be available to answer questions.
“One thing we’ll find is that folks won’t ask questions initially, but when we start to provide information, that will make them feel a little more comfortable,” Kempf said. “Questions increase as the conversation increases.”
The Seniors Council/Area Agency on Aging of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties will have a booth set up at the market July 1 from 3 to 7 p.m. This is the first year the Senior Council will distribute the vouchers at the market.
“In the past, we distributed to seniors directly and it worked fairly well,” Kempf said. “This is the first time we’ve distributed directly at the market. We may do something similar in Santa Cruz farmers markets depending on how well it goes. We might even do a second day in Hollister.”
The main goal of the program is to get information about nutrition to seniors.
“We really try whenever possible to promote healthy aging,” Kempf said. ” The old saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
He said by promoting healthy living and healthy eating “we will be able to improve the quality of life for seniors in our area.”
Mary Anne Hughes, the executive director of the Community Food Bank, put fliers in the food bags handed out to seniors during distribution this week about the free vouchers available at the market July 1.
“It is really exciting,” she said of the voucher program.
Hughes said that the Community Food Bank offers a supplemental program that provides one to two bags of food a week.
“The more places they can find nutritious food, the better,” Hughes said, “And the market – this is one of the better places. We are not able to supply all the fresh fruit and vegetables they need in a week.”
Community Food Bank offers nutrition classes that are open to seniors and anyone from the public.
“They can call the office and we’d be happy to sign them up,” Hughes said. “The important thing, especially for seniors, is in order to stay healthy and mobile, they do need to have a good diet.”
