The Community Health Education Department at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is launching a new program called Diabetes Education for Seniors (DES). The goal of DES is to help older adults manage their diabetes through access to diabetes education and an increase in healthy food needed to support the condition including whole grains, high fiber foods, and produce. This is a key priority due to the acute level of health risks common to seniors generally and the understanding of local needs through many partnerships in our rural service areas. This new program is being funded through a three-year $150,000 Multi-Donor Senior Hunger Grant from Feeding America.
In 2021, the Food Shuttle hosted a pilot program known as FAERS (Food and Access for Rural Seniors Living with Type II Diabetes) for seniors living in Johnston and Chatham counties. After successful performance, FAERS ended in June 2022. The new grant funding from Feeding America will allow the Food Shuttle to expand the program and offer personalized diabetes education and efforts to reduce isolation in senior populations.
Diabetes Education for Seniors is a 12-month program that will continue to serve low-income African- American and Hispanic adults, 55 years or older, living with type I or type II diabetes in Johnston and Chatham Counties. (The program will ultimately expand into Nash and Edgecombe counties.) The program will include monthly teleconferences on Zoom with a Registered Dietitian who will provide nutrition education specific to diabetes, individual meetings with a Registered Dietitian every three months, monthly food boxes, and three activity days which will include socialization, physical activity, cognitive activities, and cooking demonstrations. The activity days and food distributions will occur at community partner sites in Johnston and Chatham counties; therefore, participants will need reliable transportation to fully participate in the program.
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is still accepting applications for participants that come from low-income households in these counties and who are living with diabetes. If you or someone you know would like to apply or want more information about DES, please reach out to the Community Health Education Department at che@foodshuttle.org or call (919) 390-1978.