Nancy Olney News Today

Older adults now make up nearly one in four of all food-pantry visitors across Ohio, and hunger-fighting groups say the number could spike with the end of emergency SNAP allotments. Hope Lane-Gavin, director of nutrition policy and programs for the Ohio Association of Food Banks, explained Ohioans lost an average of around $86 per person, per month, toward their groceries. She said many older adults living alone on fixed incomes are now relying on just $23 a month to purchase nutritious foods. ...

New research by an Indiana nonprofit coalition reveals areas for innovation which could help minimize food insecurity. The report showed technology could be developed to educate more people about healthy food choices, or create more nutritious and affordable food products. It suggested the private sector can play a bigger role in these innovations. ...

Its almost an everyday dilemma for consumers - whether to believe a food expiration date. Advocates for cutting waste say there are tips to avoid tossing items that still might be good, along with other helpful information. This is Food Waste Prevention Week and citing federal Environmental Protection Agency data, the Public Interest Research Group says 35% of the nations food supply is wasted. ...

Many people receiving CalFresh food assistance took a big financial hit in April as the federal pandemic-era bump in benefits expired - leaving some with as little as $23 a month to spend on food. A bill to raise the minimum benefit to $50 gets a hearing before the State Senate Human Services Committee next Monday. Mona Prager, a Reseda resident, said her benefits were cut in half. ...