Community Corner

Food assistance offered at MUST this week

Nearly nine million Americans 50 and older face the risk of hunger, including nine percent of older Georgians.

Do you know someone who needs help in getting the food they need?

Come to the MUST Ministries offices at 460 Pat Mell Rd., in Smyrna between 2 - 4 p.m. today or Thursday this week to sign up for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) volunteers will be on hand to help with forms. If possible, bring a Social Security award letter or proof of residency, such as a bill with your address on it; an ID card; and information about your income and expenses.

Find out what's happening in Smyrna-Viningswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For more information, call 877-957-SNAP (Ext. 7627).

Nearly nine million Americans 50 and older face the risk of hunger, including nine percent of older Georgians, according to new research commissioned by AARP Foundation. The report, β€œFood Insecurity Among Older Adults,” found more than nine percent of older Americans were at risk of hunger in 2009 - a 79 percent increase since 2001.

Find out what's happening in Smyrna-Viningswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The research, produced by James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois, is the first of its kind to examine hunger risk among people age 50 to 59 - the youngest of the baby boomers.

Because they are typically too young for Social Security and too old to qualify for programs designed for families with children, this age group can be hit particularly hard in bad economic times. In 2009, 4.9 million 50-to-59-year-olds were at risk of hunger, representing a staggering 38 percent increase over 2007.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Smyrna-Vinings