Advocacy Agency In Philadelphia Helping Low-Income Elders Buy Fresh Produce
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - In addition to helping residents deal with the heat, the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging has been busy this month handing out produce vouchers for low-income senior citizens.
With four $5 vouchers in hand, 65-year-old Marion Robinson was going shopping at the Reading Terminal Market.
"I'm looking for a nice watermelon, some cantaloupe, some green vegetables, stuff that's good for you," she said.
Sarah Burns, 77 (photo), has been taking advantage of the annual giveaway since the program's inception in 1999.
"It helps me get my fresh vegetables and fruit. I love it. I look forward to it every year," she told KYW Newsradio today.
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is funded by the US Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging's Alycia Colombo says her agency makes sure those vouchers get into the right hands.
"Each year we serve 36,000 seniors in Philadelphia County alone, so it is a very worthwhile program that seniors look forward to," she said.
The Reading Terminal is one of the farmers' markets that accept the vouchers.
Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060
