Island Harvest Food Bank today announced it is participating in the USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program to provide supplemental food support to low-income senior citizens in Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank. The federally funded program aims to improve the health of low-income older adults (at least 60 years of age) by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA foods.
To be eligible for CSFP, adults who are 60 and older must be New York State residents and meet an income requirement of 130% of the federal poverty guideline. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement. Additional information concerning CSFP eligibility is at www.fns.usda.gov/csfp/csfp-fact-sheet.
Island Harvest Food Bank will administer CSFP locally to support 3,000 seniors each month through its partnership of community organizations and directly to participating senior citizen housing sites and senior centers across Long Island.
It will also supply food through home delivery services. Island Harvest Food Bank will also be distributing the free meal kits under the program at its Hauppauge Distribution Center, 40 Marcus Boulevard (off Motor Parkway), Hauppauge on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Additional distribution sites will be announced shortly. For more information on Island Harvest Food Bank’s CSFP contact Marilyn Weidener at 631-873-4775 or marilyn@islandharvest.org.
Island Harvest Food Bank will provide logistical support and administration free of charge to participating organizations and their senior clients. It will help determine eligibility under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and assist seniors with the application process.
The food bank will supply pre-packaged meal kits that will include a variety of foods, such as nonfat dry and shelf-stable milk, juice, cereal, rice, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans, canned meat, poultry, or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. For a list of foods available for CSFP, visit www.fns.usda.gov/csfp/csfp-foodsavailable.
