Brad Moore, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, recently joined Hunger-Free PA and members of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania, along with DoorDash federal government relations manager Robert Yeakel, for a Senior Food Box Program distribution in Franklin, Venango County. Hunger-Free PA is working to bring this delivery program, in partnership with DoorDash, to more communities, especially rural areas.
Congress currently is considering the “Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2023,” which, among other things, would authorize a three-year pilot grant program – at $10 million per year – to assess the impact of home delivery on participation rates among seniors.
State agencies would apply for grant funds on behalf of their local food banks and pantries to build out in-house delivery operations and contract with third-party service providers to deliver senior food boxes. Pennsylvania is the perfect example of how expanding access via home delivery is yielding real results, with participation rates jumping between 81% and 100%.