Gleaners Kathy Hahn-Keiner
Seniors 1000 Coalition’s Callie Sanders
The sudden “temporary” shutdown of services formerly provided by the mid-Northside Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center not only impacted youth, but was a setback to some 70-plus senior citizens who were serviced by the Center. One of those services included receiving food stuffs once a month from Gleaners Food Bank through a Federally-funded program called the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). CSFP is a program that provides commodities through the United States Department of Agriculture and is administered by the Indiana State Department of Health. The program is designed to help support the elderly, over 60 years of age with a total household income at or below 130% of the Federal poverty level, who may have to choose between food and life-saving necessities like medication. Eligible participants, receive a monthly food package containing approximately 40 pounds of food, which includes high protein items, grains, vegetables, juices and shelf stable milk. This food package provides nutritious food to supplement the nutritional needs of low income seniors. With the temporary closing the MLK Center, the seniors served by the Gleaners CSFP program were in danger of not receiving the services and the 40 pound food boxes. That’s when the Senior 1000 Coalition, a grassroots group led by a motivated senior named Callie Sanders came to the rescue. Sanders who’s been organizing and working with seniors as a labor of love for the past couple of years got together with Gleaners to workout a solution to of four alternate sites on the mid-north area to help the MLK Seniors get their food boxes. Both Callie Sanders of Seniors 1000 Coalition and Kathy Hahn-Keiner, Gleaners Chief Programs & Agency Relations Officer and Darlene Graham appeared on Afternoons with Amos to explain how MLK’s seniors would be served and talk about their two organizations. Click the Arrow to hear the Good News About Helping MLK Center Seniors with Amos’ Interview with Gleaners and Seniors 1000 Coalition. Runs 20 Minutes ©2014 WTLC/Radio One.
