Nutrition outreach, education available

To the editor:

Do you know someone over age 60 who is having trouble paying for the food and medicine they need to stay healthy? During Older Americans Month this May, let us "Work together for Strong, Healthy and Supportive Communities" and help those who need nutrition assistance. Now, under new and exciting changes to New York's Food Stamp Program rules, thousands more low-income seniors may qualify for food stamp benefits. You might be one of them. In order to help seniors get the nutrition they need to stay healthy and in their home, New York is no longer counting resources and savings for most low-income seniors. This means that they will be able to keep their emergency savings and still get nutrition benefits. Every day, food stamp benefits help seniors from having to make the choice between buying food or medicine. In our state, nearly 1.8 million residents, including more than 300,000 adults over age 60, use food stamps to buy groceries. These neighbors are now eating better. And the $2.2 billion federal food stamp dollars that came into New York last year was great news for struggling households and local businesses. In order to help more eligible people get the nutrition they need, New York's Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) is available in 31 upstate counties and throughout New York City to help people sign up for food stamps. Montgomery County is very fortunate to have the NOEP program. As the local NOEP coordinator, I am available for free and private conversations to help you. If you or someone you know is having trouble paying for food, a free five-minute conversation with me call 842-9466 may make a big difference in your grocery budget. Even if you've applied before and were turned down, now is the time to try again.

Sorange Zaccone,

Amsterdam