Are you living on a fixed income that doesn’t always leave enough for food? You may be eligible for SNAP! The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program –SNAP – is designed to help Montana seniors keep food on the table while allowing them to make ends meet. Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65. With more and more Montanans like yourself retiring and living on a fixed income, the threat of food insecurity (not having enough nutritious food to eat) increases. Fixed incomes leave little money to spare for any unexpected expenses such as home repairs, medical visits, or vet bills.

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, actively improves your nutrition quality and overall health. Inadequate nutrition can lead to health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more. SNAP helps ensure that you’re able afford the fruits, vegetables and protein needed to stay healthy and have a balanced diet. SNAP can help you form a strong foundation of health by improving the kinds of food you are able to buy. Having a little extra money for food also means you have more money to put towards filling your prescriptions or paying the heat bill.

SNAP is easy to use, too. Monthly benefits are loaded onto an EBT card which is used like a debit card to make food purchases at grocery stores and even some farmer’s markets.

To learn more about SNAP or to apply over the phone, call Elizabeth from the Montana Food Bank Network at (406) 239-6475. If the phone is not to your liking, stop by any Office of Public Assistance and complete the application in person. SNAP…an easy solution to help you with your grocery bills!

Elizabeth Weaver, SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Montana Food Bank Network