Senior Resources Partners with BlueCross BlueShield of SC to provide emergency food assistance in 16 counties statewide

Senior Resources has partnered with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation to provide over 245,000 free meals to senior citizens in 16 counties throughout the state in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a coordinated effort, these meals will be provided to help combat food insecurity for vulnerable elders in South Carolina as part of our Emergency Senior Nutrition Program beginning now into early summer. This will be part of an initiative that currently provides five free meals on a weekly basis to any senior citizen in Anderson, Clarendon, Lexington and Richland counties, and will now extend to include Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Horry, Kershaw, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg and Williamsburg counties.

“Senior citizens continue to be at-risk of COVID-19 spread and dire health complications from the virus,” said Andrew Boozer, Executive Director of Senior Resources. “Since the outbreak began in South Carolina, the network of senior nutrition providers in the state have seen food needs increase as isolation and limited resources have made many food insecure for the first time in their lives. The commitment of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina to meet the needs in our communities will provide food access to the thousands of seniors in need of food.”

Beginning the week of May 4, as part of a five-week initiative, the program will extend into the counties listed above with local distribution points in each county. Senior Resources will work together with agencies in each of these counties to prepare and distribute meals to their local senior citizens. The donation from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation of nearly $1.6 million to our COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund enabled the expansion of the Emergency Senior Nutrition Program.

If you are a senior citizen or a caregiver of a senior citizen residing in one of the counties participating in our Emergency Senior Nutrition program, please visit Senior Resources’ website (www.seniorresourcesinc.org) for website links that will be listed by county on our homepage. Each county’s website will provide you with distribution site locations, dates and pick-up times.

There are specific requirements that must be met to receive free meal services from the Emergency Senior Nutrition Program. To receive the meal pack, you must be a senior citizen (60+) or a caregiver taking a meal to a senior citizen, and you must reside in that county. All meal recipients must show a state issued id and provide a name, address and phone number at pick-up. If you are picking up a meal for a senior resident, please have their ID with you. Only two meal packs are allowed per car (10 individual meals). Individuals are only permitted one pick-up per week.

With our clients being at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis, we are committed to staying open at Senior Resources and providing senior citizens the services they need. If you are looking for ways to help senior citizens during this time, you can contribute a monetary donation to our COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund located on our website at: https://seniorresourcesinc.salsalabs.org/covid-19relieffund/index.html, send in a donation through our Text to Give campaign (text “HELP4SENIORS” to 443-21), or you can mail in a donation and mark it for the disaster relief fund.