Why are so many elder Americans experiencing hunger? Why are so many senior citizens food insecure? Why should we care?

Meet Murray.

Murray is a retired taxi driver. He spent his entire life working hard and falling short. He was always worried about being able to pay his bills, but he and his wife, Maureen, somehow always managed to scrape by.

Murray was forced into retirement when it became unsafe for him to drive. With no savings and no retirement, Murray and Maureen had to get by on their Social Security benefits, a grand total of $1,500 per month.

When it became impossible for them to meet their expenses, they were forced to move into a studio apartment in a remote area. The tiny apartment cost $1,000 per month and was far away from the grocery store. Murray was forced to decide which medical appointments they could afford to go to and which medications they could get by without, otherwise there would be nothing left for them to buy food.

Murray was told by his friends at the senior center, where he and Maureen got a hot lunch every Tuesday before playing cards, that he should sign up for CalFresh (food stamps) and Meals on Wheels, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. In his mind, he didn’t work hard his entire life just to become a welfare case.

At his last appointment, his doctor told him that he was prescribing him CalFresh because he would end up hospitalized if something didn’t change. Murray listened to his doctor and now he and Maureen get extra money for groceries every month. They have enough to pay rent and get all their medicines without wondering if they would have enough for food. And on the days where Murray isn’t feeling up to cooking, he and Maureen can use their benefits to get takeout thanks to the Restaurant Meals Program.

SNAP changed their lives and now, after a lifetime of hard work, Murray can live relatively stress-free.

Murray is only one of many stories lived by older adults in San Diego where 40% of seniors struggle to make ends meet and 1 in 10 report experiencing food insecurity. Fortunately, there are options available, and San Diego Hunger Coalition is leading collaborative action to ensure that every older adult has enough to eat.