Like many older adults living on a fixed income, Mildred relies on SNAP to help pay for groceries. Her monthly benefit is less than $100. It’s a struggle to get everything she needs, but mostly, she’s able to get by.
Recently, another challenge has emerged: keeping her SNAP benefits.
Like many older adults, she has struggled to get through to an actual person during the renewal process.
“It seems like there’s nobody there to talk to,” she said. “You call and call, and it feels like no one can help you.”
The experience leaves her feeling frustrated and uncertain.
“I don’t receive a lot on my SNAP balance,” Mildred said. “But if I don’t have it, I really don’t know what I’m going to do.”
For her, SNAP is not a luxury. It is a lifeline. A small benefit that helps stretch a fixed income and provides peace of mind each month.
As conversations continue about food access, aging, and public benefits, Mildred hopes leaders remember that many older adults face more than one barrier at a time.
Food.
Transportation.
Mobility.
Access to customer service support.
“There are a lot of seniors in this situation,” she said. “I don’t know how much longer people are going to be able to keep doing this if things continue down this road.”
Her story is a reminder that food security is about more than what’s on a grocery shelf. It’s about making sure older adults can reach that shelf, afford what’s on it, and receive the support they need to continue living with dignity in the communities they have called home for decades.
