AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Some members of our aging population are facing food insecurity, especially those who have to rely on public transportation to get their groceries.
I'm giving a voice to a woman from Amherst, who reached out to us, saying she can't afford a car and that many people who live in her apartment complex and the nearby area are in the same boat.
Darlene Hopkins and her daughter-in-law browse through her refrigerator at her apartment complex off Robin Road in West Amherst, where she says she struggles with a growing problem in the region: food insecurity among aging residents who lack reliable transportation.
"If you don't drive, or you can't get a ride to a store, then you go without," Hopkins said.
WATCH: 'You go without': Amherst residents with no transportation struggle with access to fresh food
Hopkins, who has serious back issues and doesn't drive, finds it difficult to access fresh foods. The nearest grocery store with a direct bus route is 7.1 miles away.
"If you want a direct route to a grocery store that is 7.1 miles away," Hopkins said. "It would have to be Main Street Tops. They do have a drop off on Maple Road, the 44, but it's a 25-minute walk."
Her daughter-in-law, Kayla Licht, helps when she can, but work schedules make regular grocery trips challenging.
"We help as much as we can," Licht said. "We do our grocery shopping together as much as we can, but sometimes, it can be hard, especially if I'm in between work and I only have a couple of hours in between. So it's hard to come here, go to a store."
The nearest store within walking distance is a convenience store, but Hopkins said it provides very limited fresh produce options.
"They have a very limited like a couple of potatoes, a couple of onions, a couple — you have lettuce, tomatoes, but it's not often, and it's like triple the price," Hopkins said.
I reached out to the Amherst Senior Center for potential solutions. Director Melissa Abel said Hopkins should call immediately to see if she qualifies for their many resources.
"People may not even realize...until they give us a call," Abel said. "That's the first and foremost thing. Pick up the phone and give us a call."
The center offers transportation assistance for seniors in the community.
"We have Amherst senior transportation here on site, so I always say, contact them directly here at the center, and they'll be able to advise that they can come to their home or their apartment complex and be able to pick them up," Abel said.
Hopkins emphasized that the problem extends beyond seniors. She said many low-income young families in her area also lack transportation and struggle to access affordable, fresh food.
"They come back from Dollar General with their grocery carts because they don't have any transportation, and they get what they can," Hopkins said.
According to Hopkins, her wish for the West Amherst community is for a mobile pantry to assist residents facing transportation barriers to food access.
The Amherst Senior Center has a number of programs for adults 50 and older. You can contact them at (716) 636-3050.
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