Senior Round Table

Last Thursday we organized over 30 partners from across the state to discuss seniors' access to 3SquaresVT (formerly known as food stamps). Currently, only 33% of eligible seniors are utilizing the program. Hunger among seniors is a critical issue and it is important for the state, our Congressional delegation, and all of our non-profit partners to be working on solutions. At the round table we shared some of the qualitative data we collected from senior focus groups we hosted around the state. We also heard presentations from Renee Richardson, State Nutrition Program Director; Dottie Rosenbaum, Senior Policy Analyst from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Maria Cimini, SNAP Outrach Coordinator from University of Rhode Island Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America; and our own Angela Smith-Dieng, 3SquaresVT Outreach & Policy Specialist at the Campaign. Our next steps will be to implement the group's recommendations which include an improved outreach plan and innovations to the 3SquaresVT program. Many thanks to our board member, Fran Stoddard who skillfully facilitated the meeting!