You can Help to End Hunger in Pasco County!

Did you know that one in six seniors in Pasco County is hungry or food insecure? These seniors are considered the "hidden hungry" because they are homebound and so people do not know about them. "Feeding Pasco's Elderly" is a non-profit organization that helps raise awareness about these hungry seniors and raises funds for the Pasco County Elderly Nutrition Program. Here is a link to a news article about this organization.

Pasco County's Elderly Nutrition program is 35 years old and feeds 800 elderly people daily at their homes and at eight congregate dining centers around the county.  You can help by volunteering with "Feeding Pasco's Elderly", by donating money to this organization, or by attending their fund-raising events, such as the First Annual Ambassador’s Breakfast Fundraiser coming up on October 14th, 2015. You can find out more about this event on their website here. 

You can also volunteer to deliver food to the elderly by contacting the Pasco County Elderly Nutrition department at (727) 834-3287. Here is a video about the Elderly Nutrition program:

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. This event is held every year on June 15th. It is estimated that 5 million older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited every year. In addition, elders throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually due to elder financial abuse.You can help to raise awareness about elder abuse by sharing this information with friends and family.
What else can you do to help?

• volunteer with your local Meals on Wheels program - in Pasco County, contact the Pasco County Elderly Nutrition Department
• become a long-term care ombudsman - in Pasco County contact the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas (727) 570-9696) to learn more about volunteering to help the elderly.
• if you know a caregiver - offer to help them, so they can take a few hours break. 
• learn about  the 12 things that anyone can do to prevent elder abuse by clicking here.