LAKELAND, Fla. — Imagine having to make the tough decision to pay your bills or buy groceries. Advocates say that’s the harsh reality for many seniors who are navigating not having enough money for food.
It’s leading some seniors to seek help from nonprofits like Volunteers in Service to the Elderly in Lakeland.
While most of us get in our cars to head to the grocery store, for seniors in Lakeland, their drive is to VISTE to pick up their monthly groceries free of charge.
When one cart comes in, another one goes out — it’s a cycle that Welton Morris knows all too well.
“Every month, once a month,” he said.
He is one of more than 4,000 seniors who visit the nonprofit to pick up groceries.
A line forms and volunteers pack each car with the month’s assortment of goods.
Recently, Welton said he’s found himself relying on this service even more to stock his fridge.
“The grocery store is so expensive when you go in the store, very expensive, and it’s hard, especially when you’re on a fixed income. It’s hard,” he said.
Steve Bissonnette is the president of VISTE and said the number of seniors they serve is increasing.
“We’re averaging about 130 clients each day during the week, almost a 30% increase just in the past few months,” he said.
The nonprofit’s impact report from last year shows a 9.5% increase in clients. Its supplemental groceries program increased 6.2%, providing groceries to more than a thousand households.
Bissonnette said that need has increased again in the last few months.
“We can only attribute that to the environmental circumstances that people are uncertain about and fearful of, and we want to make sure that they at least get basic food to remain in their own home,” he said.
Most of the food comes from Feeding Tampa Bay, the United States Department of Agriculture and items they purchase.
Groceries that will go a long way for seniors, like Yoleida Cardona.
“From an economic standpoint, my husband receives a small amount of money, and this helps us move forward,” she said. “There is also a lot of people in need, and there are those who live on their own that need this.”
It’s a program that has become a lifeline for many seniors to keep their pantries stocked.
The nonprofit also has a hot meal program for seniors who are unable to attend the grocery pick-up or cook for themselves.
Those meals are provided twice a week with the help of Florida Southern College.
Lizbeth Gutierrez
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