Announcing National Senior Month

We have a heart for Seniors at Food Bank of the Rockies.  This population of our neighbors is so often forgotten and invisible.  Many seniors reside in apartment home settings.  Others are home bound and aren't able to get out and about very easily.  So many of our senior neighbors struggle to make ends meet and unfortunately, that struggle often includes food insecurity. 

May is National Senior Month.  What a perfect opportunity to highlight a group of people who have wonderful stories to tell and needs that FBR and our community can help meet.  FBR and Ameristar Casino Black Hawk have partnered over the past few years to provide senior clients with Totes of Hope-Seniors.  This program provides monthly bags of healthy food items, including produce, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta sauce, dried milk etc. to over 10 senior high rise sites around Denver.  Many of these sites are Volunteers of America sites, which has been a fantastic partnership for FBR.  We thoroughly enjoy visiting these sites and chatting with seniors who benefit from the Totes of Hope program.  It's heart warming and also so difficult to learn of medical difficulties that have brought them to a place of needing food assistance.  Or hearing of loss of loved ones and the inability to make ends meet after that loss.  There are so many stories to be told and so many opportunities to give back to these folks. 

Check in this month for videos, photos and personal testimonies of just a few of the thousands of Colorado seniors who find themselves reaching out for help.

Meet Merrill. He explains that he couldn't afford to keep his home and now lives in a high rise through Volunteers of America. After paying rent, there isn't much left over. And so he doesn't eat very much.  He's so grateful for the Totes of Hope-Seniors program, bringing totes of healthy food to his building every month. We don't think Merrill should have to worry about where his next meal is coming from.  What do you think?