The Hollywood Farmers Market and the Hollywood Senior Center are partnering to bring the community a fun and informative Senior Day at the Market on Saturday, July 20th. Senior Day will feature discounts for seniors at some vendors, a special market tour at 11pm, cooking demonstrations for using seasonal ingredients in simple, small meals, personal shoppers for seniors, and an opportunity to win a basket of market goodies.
Our neighborhood has a high population of senior community members, many of whom are facing a variety of barriers to accessing necessities like food, but particularly health food. “A major barrier that many seniors face in coming to the market is a perception that the market is too expensive and too busy to be a good option for them,” says Hollywood Senior Center Executive Director Amber Kerns-Johnson. By having tours and information about ways to shop the market on a budget, and by having personal shoppers available to help seniors navigate the market, Senior Day is one way to address those barriers in welcoming, fun, and safe way.
The Hollywood Farmers Market also accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP as well as providing a “SNAP Match” up to $5. That means that each week a person uses their Oregon Trail card at the market, the market is able to match those benefits up to $5 to stretch the limited funds. The match is funded through private donations and support from the Hollywood Farmers Market Board. Seniors can also use FDNP (Farm Direct Nutrition Program) vouchers in the market to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. “Improving access to healthful foods for every member of our community is a win for our farmers, our customers and neighborhood,” says Market Manager Alicia McAvay. “And we are thrilled to have a market day dedicated to our older shoppers.”
In addition to the benefit provided to seniors, this special market day will be a way for community members to learn about some of the challenges facing seniors and what they can do to help. If you’re unable to attend, but would like to find out what you can do to help, you can contact the Hollywood Senior Center regarding volunteer opportunities at the center. If you’re particularly interested in senior nutrition, contact the Neighborhood Gleaners – a program of the Hollywood Senior Center that works with farmers markets to distribute unsold produce to low income seniors in the Hollywood and Woodstock markets – at (971) 285-4601 or gleaners@hollywoodseniorcenter.com. The Hollywood Farmers Market is also seeking new volunteers and can be reached at volunteers@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
If you’re a senior who is unable to attend, but would like more information, you can also contact the Gleaners and they’d be happy to share everything they learned.
by Heather Wilkinson, Neighborhood Gleaners
