SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) – Moderate and low-income seniors in Siouxland will again be able to obtain fresh produce at Sioux City’s twice-weekly farmers market.
This year, $50 vouchers for fresh produce will be provided by the Connections Area Agency on Aging to seniors. The vouchers are valid June 1 through the end of October for fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs and honey. The goal is to help seniors maintain a healthy diet.
“I think the main goal is to help the elderly maintain their diet and get those healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at the Farmer’s Market, and to help the community,” Pam Wurster with the agency said. “It’s a great way for them to reach out to the elderly people and help them out.”
The process to obtain these vouchers will now be done by mail.
“If you got vouchers last year… this year they will be mailed out, and if you need to request them, you can call our office if you didn’t get them last year, and there is a process for that,” Wurster said. “Everything is done by mail, and nothing is done here in our office except for mailing them out.”
This year’s eligibility criteria are to be 60 years of age or older, and, for a one-person household, to have an annual income of less than $27,861, and a two-person household to have an annual income of less than $37,814.
Applications will be sent out to last year’s recipients by mid-May. First-time applicants are required to call the agency at 800-432-9209 and leave a message with their name, address, and phone number. All vouchers are first come, first served.
Seniors will be able to start the application process for the vouchers on June 1, and this will go on until Oct. 1.