May is Older Americans Month
May is Older Americans Month, which is a time to recognize older Americans’ contributions and reaffirm commitments to serving older adults. In the last fiscal year, The Idaho Foodbank provided food assistance to an average of 43,700 Idaho seniors per month through all our programs and partnerships. One way that we get food to seniors who are food insecure is through our partnerships with many senior centers across the state.
One of these partnerships is with the Parma Senior Center in Canyon County. They serve an average of 370 neighbors per month with support from The Foodbank, local farmers, and other donations and initiatives. The Parma Senior Center has Gotsch Gardens, which is a thriving space that supports the Senior Center’s mission and meals. Gotsch Gardens began with five handcrafted flower boxes that were donated by a 91-year-old volunteer from Kirkpatrick Church. Alongside flowers, they maintain 20 raised vegetable beds made from repurposed onion boxes. They produce tomatoes, bell peppers, radishes, carrots, beets, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, zucchini, and spaghetti squash.
This fresh produce supplies the Senior Center salad bar all summer and supports their meal preparation. It significantly reduces the Parma Senior Center’s grocery costs. Surplus vegetables are sent home with seniors, and Parma Senior Center’s cook has incorporated items like zucchini into soups and even lasagna. Fruit trees are also being added every year and their apple tree produced its first large crop last year.
Inspired by the initial gift to start Gotsch Gardens, local churches began helping with meal deliveries —turning a small act of kindness into a community-wide collaboration. The LDS and Presbyterian churches manage deliveries, building stronger community ties. In addition to supplying food for the Senior Center and local residents, the vegetable garden also inspired Parma Senior Center to launch a seasonal Farmer’s Market a few years ago. The profit from the Farmer’s Market helps cover power bills and other essentials, proving that small initiatives can yield big returns. The Parma Senior Center is an inspiring example of working together to help our neighbors in need during Older Americans Month.
