Commission on Aging expands senior produce program in third year of Be Healthy partnership
This is the sixth installment in Be Healthy’s Year Three Project Partners spotlight series.
At Be Healthy, we’re passionate about the health and wellness of our fellow West Virginians. That’s why it’s our goal to increase access to healthy foods and safe spaces for physical activity in McDowell County and Clay County — two counties selected by the CDC for HOP funding.
Each year, we accept applications for ongoing projects or project ideas that will improve the health of our communities in the short- and long-term. Since our founding in 2019, Be Healthy has assisted more than 30 community partners and organizations, supporting and connecting these groups with funding and much-needed resources.
For the 2021 grant cycle, we selected 10 Year Three project partners, with four projects focused on healthy food access and six focused on physical activity. This month, we’re shining a spotlight onto the McDowell County Commission on Aging’s Senior Produce Bag Program, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors in the McDowell community who may not otherwise have access to them.
Below, project organizer Donald Reed shares his insight into the team’s vision, motivation, and long-term aspirations.
Partner: McDowell County Commission on Aging
Project: Senior Produce Bag Program
As a three-year partner of Be Healthy, the McDowell County Commission on Aging has worked relentlessly to ensure seniors across their communities have access to fresh produce.
Donald Reed, Executive Director of the Commission on Aging, coordinates the purchasing of fruits and vegetables, as well as packaging and distribution. Over the course of eight weeks this summer, volunteers and staff members met at the commission to help sort, prepare, and package senior produce bags. By the end of the project, Reed said the commission had distributed fresh produce to 92 seniors in McDowell County.
“Seniors face hunger and food insecurity at a higher rate than many other groups, in part because fixed incomes can make good food unaffordable,” Reed said.
Other obstacles, such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and, for some, limited transportation, have prevented seniors from visiting grocery stores as often as they previously had.
West Virginia has the oldest population in the nation, and McDowell County has the highest percentage of seniors in West Virginia. Providing healthy foods, he hopes, can increase the quality of their lives.
“The Senior Brown Bag program helps older adults get the food they need to stay healthy and strong in later life.”
Through funding provided by this year’s Be Healthy mini contract, Reed said the Commission on Aging has expanded their efforts to reach more seniors in Welch and Bradshaw, as well as the communities of Keystone, Kimball, and Northfork.
“We live in a food desert, and healthy food is expensive,” Reed said. “Many seniors have chronic diseases and limited transportation ability – this allows us to provide the fresh produce directly to them. Our partners include Gilbert Produce and the McDowell County Youth Producers Association.”
Funding will also provide an opportunity to add raised gardening beds on site at the Commission on Aging. Seniors, he said, will be invited to get involved in planting, maintaining, and harvesting produce if they’re interested and able.
“This modified gardening will be a form of physical activity for the seniors,” Reed added. “The gardening beds will be used in the Senior Produce Bags and the Senior Feeding Site.”
Reed said he hopes that the Commission on Aging’s fresh produce will encourage those in the community to make healthier choices. Long term, he said, the commission hopes to see the reduction of chronic diseases in McDowell seniors.
For more information about the McDowell County Commission on Aging, or to support their efforts, contact 304.436.6588.