The White House currently has a priority to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities. On Wednesday, September 28, the Biden-Harris Administration will host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The Administration will also release a National Strategy with actions the federal government will take to drive solutions to these challenges.
This is a historic event as it’s been more than 50 years since the first and only White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health was held in 1969.
It will be live-streamed on the Whitehouse’s YouTube page (so it will also be available to watch later) and you can get more information including how to watch on the website: www.whitehouse.gov/hungerhealthconference
Day 1 Presentations
2018 Senior Hunger Study
Paths to Reducing Food Insecurity among Older Adults – Dr. Craig Gundersen
The State of Senior Hunger Report
Hunger and Health in Older Adults – Seanna Marceaux
Hunger and Health Resource Sheet August 2022 (word version)
Hunger and Health Resource Sheet August 2022 (pdf version)
Area Agency on Aging
AAA Consumer Needs Evaluation
AAA Nutritional Risks Assessment
AAA Nutritional Health Handout
High Plains Food Bank
Amarillo Area Foundation (No slideshow)
To sign up for the AAF Listserv – http://eepurl.com/gfKkOL
High Plains Christian Ministries
Mary E. Bivins Foundation
Day 2 Presentations
Senior Specific Food Items in Food Pantry (No slideshow)
Client Choice Food Pantry
Nutrition 4 Change
Seniors Helping Seniors
Reaching Outlying Communities (No slideshow)
Next steps
The Mary E. Bivins Foundation hosted community meetings in April of 2022 in Borger, Childress, Clarendon, Dalhart, Hereford, and Perryton. The purpose of the meetings was to (1) share some of the work that the Bivins Foundation has been doing the past few years regarding food insecurity in older adults and (2) gain a better understanding of the challenges that are faced by organizations and individuals working to address the issue. There were 30 unique participants that represented community organizations that provided a feeding service to older adults. Most of the organizations represented had a food pantry, congregate meal, or home delivered meal service. See the results from the conversations here. Questions about community gardens, farmers markets, and other resources were asked and here are the results for those questions.
In December of 2020, the Bivins Foundation completed a survey of feeding programs throughout the Texas Panhandle. The goal of the survey was to get information directly from food program providers that would help shape the next steps in how the Foundation addresses hunger and food insecurity for seniors in the Texas Panhandle.
Results 2020 Food Program Survey
The Healthy Seniors Grant Program featured a simplified grant application and was designed to assist organizations that provide programs targeted to meet the needs of aging and senior populations in the Panhandle. Programs that address hunger and food security, nutrition, aging in place, transportation, increasing social connection, caregiver support, health needs, and other senior related issues were eligible. Preference was given to requests that addressed the issue of senior hunger, food security, and nutrition.
View the interactive map that outlines the organizations that were granted funds and the purpose of the grant funds.
(Note that organizations that received funds in both 2018 and 2020 are located in the exact same spot on the map; therefore, the information from only one year will be visible. In order to view the other year you will need to remove the layer for the other year.)
In the summer of 2017, a variety of circumstances brought the issue of senior food insecurity to the forefront for a number of funders in the Panhandle, leading to joint discussions between the Amarillo Area Foundation, Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation, High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation, and Mary E. Bivins Foundation. As a result of these conversations and its commitment to provide for the elderly in our community, the Mary E. Bivins Foundation committed resources to enable an in-depth study of the issue of food insecurity among Panhandle seniors.
The study was conducted between October 2017 and January 2018, with three goals in mind: 1) Identify the scope of the issue related to older adults and food insecurity in the Panhandle; 2) Produce a list of resources that will be of assistance to service providers and others addressing this issue; and 3) Provide an impetus for discussion and collaboration among organizations already serving this growing population and hopefully influence action on how to move forward.
This resource can serve as a first step in helping change-makers understand how to improve the lives of our seniors in meaningful and effective ways. It is anticipated that the information collected via this process will serve as baseline data, providing a benchmark against which future progress can be tracked. The next step will be for key stakeholders to take this data and identify what they see as the most important issues to address, keeping in mind feasibility, effectiveness, and measurability as they determine priorities.
Download the Senior Hunger Study
Appendices List
Appendix A Organizations Interviewed for Hunger Study
Appendix B Convening Data
Appendix C Senior Food Offerings
Appendix D List of Amarillo Food Pantries
Appendix E Chart of Amarillo Food Pantry Operating Days
Appendix F On Your Way to Offering Client Choice
Appendix G Food Shelf Assessment
Appendix H Fighting Senior Hunger Coalition Resources
Appendix I Older Adult Food Shelf Survey
Appendix J Hunger Terms and Definitions
For additional information, please contact Jessica Tudyk, Program Officer, at Jessica@bivinsfoundation.org or 806-379-9400.