Tag: seniors

Social Work Spotlight: Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

- Stephanie 1 Comment

SENIOR FARMER’S MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM

This month, our resource spotlight shines on the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), an initiative dedicated to enhancing senior health and wellness. SFMNP offers eligible seniors a $50 voucher to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey from participating farmer’s market vendors.

Administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in partnership with the Iowa Division of Aging and Disability Services, this program ensures seniors have convenient access to nutritious produce, promoting their overall well-being. SFMNP plays a vital role in fostering community health and wellness by supporting local farmers and encouraging healthy eating habits among seniors.

Area Agencies on Aging facilitate the distribution of vouchers to eligible seniors, with Milestones Area Agency on Aging serving as the administering organization for the seventeen counties in their planning and service area, which includes Scott County. To apply for SFMNP benefits, seniors must meet specific age and income criteria and complete an application. Seniors who received vouchers last year will automatically receive an application by mail by mid-May. First-time applicants are encouraged to contact Milestones Area Agency at (563-324-9085) to request an application. Applications will be accepted exclusively through the mail, and Farmer’s Market vouchers will also be sent to recipients via mail. Please be aware that no business transactions will occur at any Milestones office, and there are no distribution centers.

To be eligible for this program, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You must be at least 60 years of age or older.
  • Your annual household income should not exceed 185% of the Federal poverty level. This means an individual’s yearly income should not exceed $27,861 or $2,321.74 monthly, or $37,814 or $3,151.71 monthly for a two-person household. You can find the income guidelines at https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/sfmnp-ieg-2024-25-memo.pdf
  • Seniors must reside within the service area of the Area Agency on Aging.

For more information about the Farmers Market Nutrition program, please visit https://www.milestonesaaa.org/nutrition-programs/farmersmarket/ or contact Milestones Area Agency on Aging at 563-324-9085. You can also find a list of eligible Farmers’ Markets by visiting Eligible Farmer’s Market Locations.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

- Lynn Leave a comment

Dorothy Gilman’s series about a senior  spy begins with The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. The 60-something Emily Pollifax decides that she needs to do something more meaningful with her life, and begins by walking into the CIA to volunteer her services.

Published in 1966, some of the sentiments seem dated; women in their sixties today would be less likely to be have as their primary identity being a frail-looking grandmother who has never been part of the workforce. What is interesting is the Cold War attitudes and alliances. It’s one thing to set a book in the sixties, it’s another to read one written with those assumptions.

I decided to read this one after hearing Nancy Pearl’s recommendations on NPR; they were part of a list of books that featured travel. Mrs. Pollifax does get around; in this book she starts out in Mexico (acting as a courier), and ends up in Albania.  Along the way, she proves herself resourceful, tenacious and very, very tough – even by current standards. Her innocence leads her to trust others more easily than a professional spy would, but it allows her to develop relationships that will come in handy later. If you want to make a quick visit to a world gone by, and to meet a slightly eccentric but very successful spy, give these a try.