JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Donnie Graham, a 77-year-old Florida retiree on a fixed income, found himself in need of a place to live when his son and his girlfriend decided they did not want him living with them anymore.
Graham, a wholesale florist for more than 40 years, told News 6 his son promised to give him the money for the first month’s rent and security deposit but when he finally found an apartment, he said his son let him down.
“Unfortunately, I had no money,” Graham said. “When the time came after I found this place, he said, ‘well, we can’t help you after all.’”
Graham told News 6 the staff at Mount Carmel Gardens apartments in Jacksonville, the place that had accepted his application, gave him two phone numbers; the first was a dead end, but the second number connected Graham “with the right people.”
The group is ElderSource, one of dozens of nonprofit organizations around the state providing resources from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to help with food costs.
“I know it will be a struggle each month, but it will work out,” a tearful Graham said.
According to the National Council on aging, older adults leave $30 billion in benefits behind every year because “they are not aware of these benefits or do not know how to enroll in them.”
Josh Hodges, a spokesman for the Council, told News 6 most of the time “people are surprised the program even exists.”
“We see people all the time who feel like they are forced to decide between food and medication,” Hodges said. “Often times, they will cut their pills in half because of the cost.”
Inflation has made things even more difficult for elder Americans on a fixed income in Florida and across the country.
Andrea Spencer, vice president of communications with Elder Source, said her organization’s help line receives about 5,000 calls a month from “people asking for all different kinds of assistance, like Donnie Graham.”
“The needs are so great and we are so grateful that we get this grant from the National Council on Aging to help people that are in these difficult situations,” Spencer said.
Other services available to the elderly from 65 years of age and with an income from $15,000 to $25,000 include:
- The Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs, which can help people with Medicare afford their out-of-pocket health care expenses.
- The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which can help you pay for home heating and cooling.
- Supplemental Security Income, which provides cash for basic needs.
“When in doubt, we encourage people to call,” Spencer said. “The resources are plentiful so if you call for one reason you may be surprised that there’s a number of things we can help people with as well.”
To see if you are eligible for benefits, go to https://BenefitsCheckup.org/.
Here in Central Florida, seniors are serviced by Elder Options. They are also serviced by Senior Resource Alliance for seniors in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties.
No matter where you live in Florida, if you need help call 1-800-963-5337. You will be linked to the agency in your area.
If you have an issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: