The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot in the way we provide services. One of the new services we have started is grocery services. This grocery service has helped keep seniors safe and prevent them from going out and being at risk to COVID-19. This way seniors can cook food for themselves in their own home and safely quarantine. Most of the seniors we serve have minimum to no income. Their financial situation causes a great deal of food insecurity. Many of our seniors are recently arrived immigrants and are not eligible to receive the government food assistance program, SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). Many seniors in this community are food insecure and lack adequate, nutritious foods. By providing them these requirements, we helped them get rid of one of their primary concerns.
As of April 2021, we have delivered 1,273 groceries. Each grocery package includes culturally appropriate food items such as rice, varieties of lentils, chickpeas, whole- wheat/rice/gram flours, vegetable/canola oil, sugar, salt, milk, puffed rice, vermicelli, semolina, potato, and onion. These items help seniors maintain good health, food hygiene, nutrition, and for some, manage an existing chronic disease in such challenging times.