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Services

Food

Across the reservations of the Northern Plains, Elder Nutrition Centers provide many residents with free, hot lunches every day. These meals nourish the spirit as well as the body by offering Elders much-needed social outings along with well-balanced meals.

Although the centers receive Federal funding, food supplies often run low by the end of the month. The staff sometimes need to cut back on food quality and portion size. The AIRC Food service helps ensure that these Native American Elders do not go hungry by delivering truckloads of pantry staples to centers and soup kitchens each month.

Pantry Products Stretch Budgets
The AIRC Food packages may contain items like 50 pounds each of dried milk and flour, 25 pounds each of sugar and noodles, and several cases of soup mix, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. Special items such as energy bars and cake mix may be added when available.

Nonperishable staples help centers provide more nutritious meals for Elders.

The meal providers receive one package for every 100 Elders they serve. By providing these non-perishables, AIRC Food enables the facility staff to stretch their budgets to purchase healthy lean meats, dairy products and produce.

In many communities, volunteers also deliver meals from the centers to homebound Elders. Each winter, during the season when Elder Nutrition Centers may close due to severe weather, AIRC Food provides some emergency food packages for Elders to use at home.

More Centers on Waiting List
With the help of generous donors, AIRC Food assists nutrition sites that serve more than 2,000 Elders in dozens of communities. Yet, we have a waiting list of other sites calling for our help. Please make a gift to help us reach every First American who is going hungry today.

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