Feeding Our Elders

With National Senior Citizens Day landing this Friday, Janet sits down with Les Sinclair, Communications and PR Manager for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, to talk about a group that's too often overlooked in the conversation about hunger: our senior citizens. About one in five people the food bank serves are seniors living on fixed incomes that just can't keep pace with rising gas, housing, and grocery prices — and in a rural region like the Shenandoah Valley, that's compounded by isolation, limited public transportation, and a shortage of nearby grocery stores. Les breaks down the numbers behind the need — including a record-setting year for the food bank — and walks through the specific programs built for seniors, from Reach Boxes to the USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program. He also digs into why so many eligible seniors never apply for SNAP benefits, the added strain on grandparents raising grandchildren, and how the "Food is Medicine" approach helps people manage chronic illness through better nutrition. It's a conversation full of practical ways to help, whether that's your time, your dollars, or your voice. LINKS & RESOURCES Blue Ridge Area Food Bank — brafb.org Advocacy resources — brafb.org/act-now Blue Ridge Area Food Bank on Facebook and Instagram  THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations. New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon. Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us. Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday