Facing Tight Budgets, Seniors In NW Wisconsin Increasing Using Food Shelves

The number of seniors using food shelves each month has doubled over the last five years in northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota, local officials said.

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank provides food to 42 food shelves in the region. Executive director Shaye Moris said seniors have been making difficult choices due to the economic downturn and increasing costs.

“Choosing between paying for food or paying for housing or medical care and medicine. Home heating is a big expense too for seniors in our region in particular,” Moris said.

Linda Olson, the office manager for BRICK Ministries in Ashland, said they gave food to around 3,300 seniors last year. She said that’s roughly one-fifth of the people they served.

“Often, it’s because they’re on Social Security and they have a limited funding source. Those dollars just don’t stretch like they should,” she said.

Olson said that combined with changes to Wisconsin’s FoodShare or food stamp program are leading more people to ask for help.