This part of the toolkit takes an in-depth look at the statistics and the progress and opportunity that exists among the five focus areas identified and introduced in Georgia’s State Plan on Senior Hunger . These five focus areas are Today’s Seniors, Health Impact of Senior Hunger, Food Access, Food Waste and Reclamation and Meeting the Community’s Needs. The information is meant to educate caregivers, aging services providers, health providers, dietitians, pharmacists, faith leaders, policymakers and the many who work and live with seniors. You will learn about key background information, key resources and ways to address the needs of seniors in Georgia. You will gain knowledge about these five focus areas, the severity of food insecurity, how you can help the seniors in your community to address senior hunger and where to refer seniors to resources and services specific to their areas. Furthermore, many opportunities exist to engage in the work. These include attending conferences and trainings to help raise awareness about senior hunger and volunteering your time and expertise.

The solutions to addressing senior hunger will require a multifaceted approach. Each section will address the opportunities to leverage the unique experience of seniors and include information about resources and services available in Georgia. Search tools like America’s Health Ranking, County Health Ranking, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s BRFSS data are excellent sources to obtain information about seniors. Below are the section learning objectives for each focus area.

Focus Area Learning Objectives:

  1. Gain a state perspective on addressing senior hunger.
  2. Learn key statistics.
  3. Identify strategies to address senior hunger.
  4. Obtain information on state level services and resources available.
  5. Find ways to help address senior hunger.