According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 9 percent of people age 65 and older in the state of Delaware are living in poverty. Their poverty is so severe that they are eating dog food because they cannot afford to buy human food. But senior citizens in Frederica, Delaware, are now filling their pantries with good wholesome food thanks to help from their community.
The small community of just over 700 people, located outside Dover, came to the rescue to help their senior citizens. The local director of the senior center took the story to WBOC-TV and just a short time later Walmart Community Foundation donated $25,000 for food. As a result, the senior center is now able to provide bags of food for their low-income seniors.
About 40 percent of people who come to the center are low income, many living on just $400-$500 a month. They can come to the center when it is open for a meal, but when the center is closed they may have nothing to eat. The generosity of donors like Walmart and volunteers to distribute the food has now changed all that. It's a heartwarming story of people coming together to help each other.
As Renee Hoffman, Executive Director of the Frederica Senior Center describes their attitude about their senior citizens, "They took care of us. Now it's time we take care of them."
