An Award-Winning Free Feeding Program
For 50 years, Lutheran Towers has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for its residents. Towards that end, it offers an array of health and well-being programs as well as recreational activities. In 2018, Lutheran Towers conducted a client needs assessment which found that over 90% of its residents were food insecure.
In response to this finding about the prevalence of food insecurity within their HUD subsidized independent living community, Lutheran Towers leadership launched free onsite feeding programs for its residents starting in 2018. Year over year, the number and type of free feeding programs offered to Lutheran Towers’ residents have grown. In 2021 alone, Lutheran Towers disseminated more than 75,000 pounds of free food to its residents.
In January of 2022, Lutheran Towers launched, the first of its kind in the nation within a HUD subsidized senior independent living community, a “no charge” grocery store for its residents. Lutheran Towers “no charge” grocery store offers both consumable and non-consumable items to its residents. The store allows Lutheran Towers to notably grow its free food dissemination to its residents. To sustain the store, Lutheran Towers secures grants and receives donations from individuals and churches.
In June of 2022, Lutheran Towers’ commitment to eliminating food insecurity within its senior community was recognized by the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services at the 2022 Senior Hunger Summit. Each year, since 2016, the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services has sponsored a Senior Hunger Summit. The 2022 summit covered the five focus areas of the State Plan to Address Senior Hunger (published December 2017).
The Senior Hunger Summit focus areas were today’s seniors, health impact of senior hunger, food access, food waste as well as reclamation and meeting the community needs. The 2022 Senior Hunger Summit brought together a diverse group of experts, policymakers and community stakeholders to heighten awareness of senior hunger in Georgia and nationally, unearth issues accompanying the problem, highlight best practices, and seed opportunities to combat senior hunger.
At the 2022 Hunger Summit, Lutheran Towers received the Senior Hunger Rising Star Award from the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services