The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), commonly called “the senior food box”, provides low-income, elderly individuals with a monthly box of shelf-stable food. While this monthly food package is not intended to contain a complete diet, it does provide valuable nutrients typically lacking in the diets of seniors. The box customarily includes a variety of foods, such as: cheese, non-fat dry and no-spoil milk, juice, oats, ready-to-eat cereal, rice and pasta, peanut butter, dry beans or peas, canned fruits and vegetables, and canned meat, poultry or fish.

Since the spring of 2016, The Foodbank has administered this program for eligible residents of Montgomery and Greene counties. Funded annually through federal appropriations, CSFP is available to applicants who are at least 60 years old and with an income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level.  Each month, The Foodbank is responsible for building and distributing nearly 1,300 boxes to enrolled participants at 23 different site locations across the two counties.

CSFP serves the vitally important role of providing food and nourishment while also helping to combat the poor health conditions often seen in seniors experiencing food insecurity and who are at risk of hunger. Furthermore, this monthly box benefits seniors who may otherwise be forced to choose between spending their limited income on food or medicine and other basic needs.