How to Help Senior Citizens Living in Poverty

There are always new challenges that come with every stage of life. Being a senior citizen can lead to many health, financial, environmental and social challenges that can greatly impact a person’s mental and physical health. If you want to help senior citizens in your area, here are a few things you can do:

Health

Many senior citizens face preventable health challenges. One of these health challenges is food insecurity. According to Feed America, in 2016 nearly 8.6 million senior citizens faced hunger. Food insecurity is continuing to be a growing issue among this age group and is expected to continue to increase. Unfortunately, 9 of 10 states with the highest senior food insecurity are in the South. Food insecurity is a major issue in our communities, but we can help alleviate it. You can help us provide healthy food to senior citizens in need by donating food to your local food bank, donating money or volunteering with your local community action agency.

Financial

Many senior citizens have limited funds and struggle to make ends meet. Our agencies provide many programs to create long-term and short-term change including emergency assistance and education courses. All of these help bring someone out of poverty and improve their quality of life. Consider donating or volunteering with your local agency. More funds and more volunteer hours mean we can extend our programs to more people.

Environmental Health

Many senior citizens live in unhealthy homes. Some people struggle with mold. Some with 30-year-old carpet. Some with stairs that make it hard to get in and out of their home. Whatever the problem may be, all of these issues can make living independently difficult. Most times, these senior citizens don’t have the money to make these necessary improvements. Our partnerships with BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and Duke Energy allow us to make necessary home repairs at no cost to the client. We’re so grateful to have these sponsors investing in our communities. If you know someone who could use these services, you can have them contact their local community action agency and donate to help us serve more people.

Social

Many senior citizens are living in isolation especially during the pandemic. Social isolation has detrimental impacts on one's physical and mental health, and unfortunately senior citizens are most prone to these impacts. There are a few things you can do to help a senior citizen living in isolation. Consider adopting a senior citizen, writing letters to lonely seniors and volunteering with one of our agency’s programs and making some new senior friends. Just seeing you can make all the difference to someone living in social isolation.

Just because we don’t experience the same challenges doesn’t mean we can’t be there for each other. This COVID pandemic has shown a spotlight on many of the issues that face our communities. Now is the time to band together and help your neighbor. If you want to help, don’t hesitate to contact your local agency. We could all use the extra set of hands!

Want to Help Senior Citizens?

• Donate | We use your money to help run our programs, and provide training that helps organizations and individuals make their way to self-sufficiency. You can donate on our web page or find an agencies local to you.

• Volunteer | We can’t do this alone. Join us! Find one of our agencies in your county and check out their website for volunteer opportunities.

• Become a Member | Did you know you can become a Community Action Member? Membership provides discounted tickets to our various events, an inside look into our organization and more. Membership fees start at only $25 a year for an individual, or $300 for an agency.

• Partner with Us | We are humbled by the many non-profit and for-profit organizations that partner with us to bring services, educations and events to North Carolina. If your organization is looking for a non-profit to partner with, please consider us. Email us at info@nccaa.net. We would love to hear from you!