FRAC Chat

Struggling with food insecurity and the associated health risks well before the COVID-19 public health crisis began, older adults have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, especially those who are 65 and older, older adults of color, and older adults with underlying medical conditions. Many are at disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19, and struggle to put food on the table, let alone stockpile enough for sheltering in place. 

A recent report released by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, an action research center focused on advancing changes to meet real college students’ needs, focuses on the experiences and basic needs of students parenting while in college. The purpose of this report is to draw attention to the reality for most parenting students and promote policy changes and practices that can offer the best support.

May is Older Americans Month. So many of us are worried about the older adults in our lives, and one thing that tops the list of concerns is thinking about how our loved ones can access food. Across the nation, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the first line of defense for older adults experiencing food insecurity each day, and that is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. For millions of older adults in the U.S., the basis of concerns about accessing food is a lack of resources to afford enough food.

Food insecurity, and its root cause, poverty, do not discriminate: they harm individuals, families, and communities across the U.S., regardless of demographics. One group that rarely receives attention for its alarmingly high levels of food insecurity and poverty is APA. This oversight is detrimental for APA people and the nation as a whole. In a deep dive into the divide between APA and the U.S. overall, Prosperity Now, with the help of Pew Research Center’s data, found that APA is the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., with the fastest-growing — and widest — wealth gap, making APA the most economically divided racial group.

In this #FRACTurns50 blog, FRAC’s Founding Executive Director, Ron Pollack, shares the organization’s critical role in the expansion of the Food Stamp Program, known today as the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP). Millions of households rely on SNAP as the first line of defense against hunger. As the fallout of COVID continues to deepen, the number of SNAP applications is skyrocketing. It is crucial to protect and strengthen SNAP during this time.