Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Senior OutreachResults of 4 years of work!
Why seniors are considered underserved?
Throughout the United States the average is about the same -
Only 1 out of every 3 qualifying senior receives the assistance he/she needs
and deserves
2003O PHFO interviewed seniors at various
Washington County Senior Centers and found the results were much like the rest of country
O Seniors believed the following myths to be true:O Did not know they qualifiedO Believed cars and homes would disqualify
themO Believed taking benefits would mean others
went withoutO Believed getting benefits is charityO Believed it hurt Oregon’s economy
Responses to MythsO Oregon uses 185% of the Federal Poverty
Level – meaning more people qualifyO In Oregon assets such as owning a car,
home, money in the bank, 401K, for most households, does not affect eligibility
O SNAP benefits expand and contract as needed - never runs out of funds
O Seniors have paid into SNAP just like they have paid into Social Security – so not a handout
O Using SNAP has benefited Oregon with over $1billion federal dollars brought back here
2004O PHFO hired me for outreach to
seniors in Washington CountyO First step was to attend the Loaves
and Fishes/Senior Center meetings to inform them about SNAP and how it would benefit their seniors
O A date was established for me to come in and set up a table
Table InformationO DHS SNAP material for seniorsO Other DHS material O Discount prescription cardsO Medical information (vision, dental,
hearing, housing)O Emergency food sources i.e. Oregon
Food Bank O Community Action O Ride Connection O Washington County DAVSO Other like-minded organizations
What didn’t work?O Tried to give a short interactive talk
about SNAP to seniors as they ateWhy didn’t work
O Senior’s did not want to be interrupted during their social mealtime
O Seniors would talk loudly over meO Other seniors could not hearO Told manager I was interrupting their
social time
O Visited with each table to provide senior’s with information
Why didn’t work
O Seniors do not want to talk to anyone during their social/lunch time even if giving them a free item
O Wanted to know what I was trying to sell them
What didn’t work?
What did work!O Giving a brief 2-minute talk
mentioning the income limit to qualify along with something special that they could get at my table
O This brought seniors who were previously reluctant to visit my table to come over and pick up information and free item
O Seniors were interested in these free items :
OPill boxesOMagnetic notepads OShopping bagsOPens/pencilsOResource information
O Results:O Brought seniors up to the table and
more easily ask about servicesO Eventually seniors began to look
forward to my arrival and would come up to just chat
Seniors and People with Disabilities
O A partnership was developed with Hillsboro SPD
O Intake Specialist, Connie Cruz, joined me at Washington County Senior Centers and community resource fairs
O Connie was able to start the process for seniors receiving benefits by taking their information and faxing it to the correct office
Other Organizations
OSpoke to like minded organizations such as:O Kiwanis’sO Rotary ClubO Various Faith GroupsO Washington City CouncilsO AARP
PowerPoints
Senior Hungerand
It’s a SNAP!
Senior Hunger
O Outlined the benefits of good nutrition for seniors
O Included information about how to apply for SNAP and other benefits
O Focused on how groups or individuals could help seniors and disabled get the nutrition they need
It’s a SNAP!
O Demonstrated how easy it is for a senior to find out about SNAP
O Outlined the entire application process
O Showed a senior shopping and enjoying the resulting benefits
O This presentation especially good for senior centers
O PowerPoint presentations are available on the Partner website www.OregonHunger.org
O Organizations have downloaded the presentations from our website and altered to benefit their seniors.
Future WorkO Have started reaching out to seniors
in Multnomah CountyO Working with AARP to train volunteers
for work at senior centers and groupsO Working with Healthy Elders/Healthy
Communities to reach faith groupsO Working with Latino organizations to
reach the Hispanic populationO Hope to eventually reach physicians
and health care workers
Thank you
Judith Auslander, MASNAP Senior Outreach Specialist
[email protected] ext. 7
www.OregonHunger.org
