Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope was contacted by AARP Colorado, an organization that supports adults ages 50+ and wanted to interview older adult SNAP recipients. Staff at the Food Bank of the Rockies in Grand Junction got them in touch with Roberta, of Mesa County. Food Bank of the Rockies staff had helped enroll Roberta in SNAP and had connected her with the Community Food Bank for nutritious food. See Roberta’s story below.
Roberta Burton, 65, Grand Junction, Colorado
Roberta Burton got her first job at age 16. “I worked all my life,” the 65-year-old said, including years on a grueling restaurant schedule of 60 hours a week. Her plan was to work until she was 70 in order to maximize Social Security and save more for her mortgage, utility bills and medical expenses. Burton is a breast cancer survivor but continues to need regular checkups and medication to stay on top of her health.
But her plan came to an abrupt end last summer, when Burton was let go from the restaurant where she had worked for 16 years. Then the bills began piling up. “You have to be like a mathematician to figure it out,” she says. “How can I string these bills out long enough to be able to take care of all of those? Exactly which one am I going to pay this month, and which one am I going to keep till next month?”
She started calling local food banks to see if she could supplement her groceries with donations. One of the workers told her about SNAP, and after applying, she was approved for $291 a month. Though she would not be subject to the work requirements outlined in the bills, Burton said she is keeping an eye out for jobs in case SNAP is affected by funding cuts.
“It’s not that easy when you’re this age,” she says. “Who’s going to make me a general manager when I’m 65, because they’re thinking, How long is she going to stay?”
See here for the AARP article with additional stories, by Molly Snow, p
https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/snap-benefit-cuts-hurt-older-adults.html
