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Officials Say Food Insecurity Is A Growing Problem For Seniors And Disabled

Glen Arvey, 65, is a veteran and has struggled with his disability and unemployment for several years. He's sharing his story to encourage other seniors who are facing food insecurity to apply for SNAP benefits. This photo was taken at a press conference hosted by the City of Winston-Salem and the Urban League of Winston-Salem on March 1, 2016 (Keri Brown / WFDD News)

The Urban League of Winston-Salem has received funding from the National Council on Aging to enroll 500 people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP by the end of April.

Enrollees must be age 60 or older, or be a person with a disability, with an income below $22,800 a year to qualify.

Local officials say health challenges, transportation and other issues can keep some people from applying for SNAP benefits.

“It's a long application that asks a lot of questions and some people are cautious about submitting this information to the government," says James Perry, CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League. "We're walking people through the process over the phone. If they meet the requirements, they can qualify on average for $113 per month to help deal with food shortages. We're trying to create awareness and address this growing hunger problem in our community”

Kernersville resident Glen Arvey, 65, is an Air Force veteran. He's a SNAP beneficiary and says it helps.  

“My pride kept me from applying at first,” says Arvey. “It's helping with the food that I'm choosing. I'm getting a better variety and I'm also getting more fruits and vegetables than I have been getting in the past. In fact, it's helping me lose weight, which my doctors wanted me to do.”

North Carolina is among the top ten states with the highest rates of senior food insecurity.

The Urban League is holding an enrollment event Friday, March 4, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Hanes Hosiery Recreation Center in Winston-Salem.

 

*You can follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @ kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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