Due to the high expense of food, some seniors must choose between buying their medicines and buying groceries.
And Florida woman Kelly Casto has discovered a way to assist certain seniors by using a mobile market.
Kelli Casto distributes free fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors in Central Florida five days a week.
Every day at 3 in the morning, Kelli visits various farmer’s markets to purchase produce for distribution to communities.
“We believe that food is medicine,” Kelli explained.
“And, you know, we’re really making a difference in their lives by providing them with healthy options.”
Kelli started Saving Our Seniors Fresh Farmer’s Market in her Chevy Malibu in 2020. She now has a trailer.
During her more-than-a-decade work as an occupational therapy assistant in Tampa Bay, she has seen the high number of seniors who were forced to go without the necessary medical equipment to maintain independence at home and good health.
This was due to financial constraints, lack of availability, extensive wait lists, and Medicare denial of payment.
Ms. Casto created Saving Our Seniors (“SOS” or the “Organization”) in her one bedroom apartment in 2016 after becoming dissatisfied with the healthcare system’s inefficiencies and lack of sufficient support for marginalized and low-income seniors.
“When we first started, we would help, you know, a couple hundred. And I thought that was a lot. But now the need has grown with the cost of inflation,” Kelli said.
For Kelli, providing for seniors is personal.
“Because this could be your mom, this could be your grandparent, this could be, you know, do you want them to have access to fresh produce or do you want them to not have access to it?” she said.
Access that Kelli says seniors deserve.
“I feel like seniors have paved the way for you and me. They deserve to be able to have access to produce that you and I would want to purchase, too,” she explained.
And because she goes to where seniors are, it helps them even more.
“We’re filling in a gap, we’re filling in a need, and we’re providing accessibility. A lot of seniors don’t drive. So being able to host in their communities, we’re able to meet them halfway,” Kelli added.
They provide seniors with healthy choices, so they can have a healthier life.
Anyone over 55 is eligible for the program.
She helps about 20,000 seniors a month and covers all of central Florida.
If you want to help Kelli in her advocacy, visit https://savingourseniors.org/.