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PENNSYLVANIA WEATHER

USDA Food Program Helps Senior Health

USDA Food Program Helps Senior Health


By Blake Jackson

Potential funding cuts to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) could impact thousands of seniors in Pennsylvania. The state has the fourth largest number of CSFP participants in the U.S., behind only California, Texas, and Michigan.

CSFP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that delivers monthly food packages to low-income seniors over 60. In Pennsylvania, more than 38,000 seniors benefit from the program through Hunger-Free Pennsylvania’s Senior Food Box initiative. These boxes provide shelf-stable, nutritious foods that help improve health and well-being.

Hunger-Free Pennsylvania is urging Congress to preserve current CSFP funding in the 2026 Agriculture Appropriations bill. “We must at all costs preserve the critical and vital safety net that CSFP provides for our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians – our seniors,” said Hunger-Free Pennsylvania Executive Director Stuart I.R. Haniff, MHA.

Seniors often face barriers to food assistance due to mobility or technology challenges. CSFP overcomes these by delivering food boxes directly to homes, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The program recently marked over 250,000 successful home deliveries in partnership with DoorDash’s Project DASH.

CSFP operates in all 50 states and territories, serving more than 707,000 seniors nationwide each month. In Pennsylvania, the program reaches every county, including 48 rural counties, where access to support is often limited.

“The program is a proven success with a dedicated and established infrastructure of food banks, volunteers, and logistic support to ensure the senior food boxes are received each month by those in need,” said Haniff. “The proposal to dismantle CSFP is a solution looking for a problem. There is no problem.”

Without continued funding, many seniors risk food insecurity and health complications related to malnutrition. Hunger-Free Pennsylvania continues to advocate for full CSFP funding to protect seniors across the state.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-fatcamera

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