Cooking Companions: Jewish Family Service

More than 9 percent of U.S. seniors (age 60+) are considered food insecure, according to the Food Research and Action Center. Reasons for senior hunger and undernutrition vary and can include low income and the inability to get out and shop for food. Home-bound seniors, especially, are at risk of suffering from hunger as well as isolation.

A program launched earlier this year by Jewish Family Service agencies throughout New Jersey, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to alleviate the problem. Cooking Companions matches volunteers with home-bound seniors to provide meal preparation and companionship. Volunteers purchase and deliver the food, then prepare and share a meal with the older adult, thus offering a nutritious meal as well as much-needed conversation and comraderie. Supervision, training, and grocery reimbursement are provided. To volunteer, contact your local Jewish Family Service office or jfs.org.