U.S. Government Food Stamp Parties: Fill All That Tupperware with Free Food!
The United States Department of Agriculture’s #1 subsidy to the farm bloc is the food stamp program, also called SNAP. This program now costs $75 billion a year. One in seven Americans are on the SNAP dole.
That’s not enough. The USDA wants more people to sign up. But now it takes advertising. Word of mouth just doesn’t cut it.
You might be interested in a recent USDA sheet designed to help USDA employees get more senior citizens enrolled. Here are extracts.
First targets: the silent generation. That’s mine.
Five Fresh Ideas for Reaching Members of the Silent Generation
The Right Mix for Reaching Seniors
Clearly, there is a lot of diversity within the two generations of seniors.
Here are some creative ideas for reaching them.
1. Present a True Picture. Avoid portraying all older seniors as frail or inactive. A new study of seniors 70+ found that, on average, they feel 13 years younger than their actual age. Focus on the benefits of getting older, not the limitations.
2. Mix It Up. Since women typically outlive men, show mixed groups of friends, not just couples, in materials. Include pictures with grandchildren.
3. Serve Those Who Served Their Country. The majority of men of this generation served in the military. Thousands of women also served as nurses or volunteered with organizations like the American Red Cross and the United Service Organization (USO). Make outreach to veterans’ groups, homes, and hospitals part of your strategy.
4. Go Along for the Ride. Partner with transportation services that take seniors on errands or to appointments; have materials on hand that include the myths and facts about SNAP benefits.
5. Throw a Great Party. Host social events where people mix and mingle. Make it fun by having activities, games, food, and entertainment, and provide information about SNAP. Putting SNAP information in a game format like BINGO, crossword puzzles, or even a “true/false” quiz is fun and helps get your message across in a memorable way.
To see lots of great ideas to sign up the Baby Boomers, click the link.
Continue reading on fns.usda.gov.
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Published on September 11, 2012. The original is here.