The Salisbury community came together to help Comfort Keepers® collect 350 lbs. of food through its STOP Senior Hunger food drive for local seniors in need during September, Hunger Action Month.

“We asked the community to make food donations to help local seniors and raise awareness of the growing epidemic of senior hunger and malnutrition, and they came through with open arms,” said Lori Eberly, owner of the local Comfort Keepers. “It is obvious the people of Rowan County care about helping our elders, and with this kind of support, we will be able to help our senior neighbors live healthy, independent lives by getting the food and nutrition they need.”

“There are many factors involved in malnutrition, and hunger is just one of those,” said Eberly. “We hope this campaign helped people to understand the depth and seriousness of the malnutrition problem among seniors and how it impacts families beyond just food security and availability.”

Hunger can lead to malnutrition and other serious health problems in seniors. In fact, one in nine seniors is at risk for hunger in America, and as many as 85% of seniors in the care of others suffer from malnutrition. Malnutrition is the result of the body not absorbing enough nutrients – which can be caused by hunger or other factors, including lack of interest in eating, loneliness, dental problems or the side effects of medication. For seniors, malnutrition means the potential for increased hospital stays, increased health complications, early entry into assisted living or premature death.

In response to a growing need for awareness about senior hunger, the Comfort Keepers system has launched a nationwide campaign called STOP Senior Hunger to create awareness for the importance of a healthy diet for those 65 and over. This senior nutrition campaign aims to help seniors preserve their independence by providing diet and nutrition information, encouragement and necessities.

For more information on the local STOP Senior Hunger campaign, please visit www.stopseniorhunger.com.