Due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) is developing innovative ways to continue engaging, informing and listening to communities. For 51 years, NHCOA has worked to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers. This year is no different.

Considering the current public health crisis, NHCOA is hosting a series of webinars focused on issues that are important to our communities during this pandemic. These webinars allow us to continue to serve our mission while protecting communities.

In a continuation of our dedication to disseminate timely and accurate information while also creating culturally and linguistically sensitive spaces in which Hispanic older adults, their families and caregivers can come together to discuss issues impacting their lives while connecting with local leaders, advocates, service providers and policymakers to work towards solutions that address the community’s specific needs; this webinar will be one of those spaces.

NHCOA’s Webinar: “Food Security during COVID-19” will be conducted in English on June 17, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM (EST). You can register for the webinar at: https://bit.ly/2yUj26z

This webinar will educate our communities about hunger, food insecurity, and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food insecurity is described as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. In 2018, 11.15% of households were food insecure at least some time during the year. Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO of NHCOA, emphasizes that, “Prior to the pandemic, data from Feeding America showed us that 5.3 million older adults were food insecure in 2018. These rates vary by region. For instance, in that same year, here in the District of Columbia, 14.3% of older adults experience food insecurity. Since the beginning of the COVID- 19 pandemic, food insecurity has only grown in the United States. This is particularly true for older adults, many who have been isolated and had programs such as meals on wheels suspended during this time. We must come together to address the real challenges and needs of older adults.”

Th webinar topics will include food security among older adults and AARP’s efforts to address food insecurity, solutions to food insecurity during COVID-19, the status of hunger among diverse older adults and food insecurity in rural America. The format will consist of four presenters followed by a facilitated question and answer session. Speakers will include representatives from AARP, Meals on Wheels America, Justice in Aging and NHCOA’s Board of Directors.

Food Insecurity and COVID-19:

With closures and physical distancing guidelines aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 extend across the country, the impact is being felt in communities large and small. The changes taking place effect the lives of nearly everyone in some way, but food-insecure people – who numbered over 37 million (11.5%), including over 11 million children, in 2018 – face specific challenges, and the number of people who experience food insecurity is increasing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with serious underlying medical conditions (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) and older adults are at higher risk for experiencing severe illness if they contract COVID-19. People who experience food insecurity are more likely to have poorer health, and to have diet-related conditions like diabetes. An estimated 5.5 million older adults age 60 and older are food insecure, as are 4.8 million adults age 50-59. Many older adults face challenges accessing food due to mobility and transportation limitations, and with physical distancing measures in place, these challenges are increased. Initial responses to the spread of the outbreak have included panic buying to stock up on food staples and other supplies, including toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Low income individuals are disadvantaged in such an environment as many struggles to afford what they need in the present, much less large shopping purchases to prepare for a quarantine. This webinar will discuss some of the hardships many older adults are experiencing and discuss some resources and solutions to the challenges they are facing.

Sponsors:

NHCOA ́s COVID-19 webinar series could not be possible without the generous support of our many sponsors: AARP, Verizon, PhRMA, Lyft, Pfizer Foundation, AbbVie, and Lilly.

About the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA):

NHCOA is the leading national organization working to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and their caregivers. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NHCOA has been a strong voice dedicated to promoting, educating, and advocating for research, policy, and practice in the areas of economic security, health, and housing for Hispanic older adults, families, and caregivers for more than 50 years.