When Ramona moved into National CORE’s Plaza at Sierra senior community four years ago, it felt like an answer to her prayers. She had been strained by rent, isolated and overwhelmed by the upkeep demands of her mobile home.
At Plaza at Sierra, she found affordable rent and a welcoming community. She even met her husband there, and the two married two years ago. But even with stable housing, Ramona soon realized that her limited income and CalFresh benefits were not enough to consistently put food on the table for both of them.
Matters worsened when their Social Security benefits rose to reflect cost-of-living adjustments. While most of that additional income is absorbed by higher rent, CalFresh benefits can shrink. Today, Ramona and her husband receive about $24 a month in food assistance.
“It’s a strange feeling to work all your life and not have enough money to eat. I eat a lot of plant-based things. I eat things like beans, things I can buy dry and cook myself,” Ramona said. “And I’m not alone. I live among many seniors who have the same issue.”
Ramona’s experience is increasingly common. Rising costs are placing more seniors at risk. As of 2023, nearly 10 percent of U.S. seniors and about one-third of California’s low-income seniors were food insecure.
A former psychiatric technician and nutritionist, Ramona took matters into her own hands.
She mapped a careful plan – visiting senior centers for lunch and collecting groceries from as many as four food pantries each month. The most reliable support came closer to home: a monthly fresh fruit and vegetable distribution hosted at Plaza at Sierra and serving four National CORE–operated senior communities in Fontana.
“Without the food programs, the pantry programs, the vegetable giveaways, my husband and I would not have enough food for the rest of the month,” she said. “This helps a lot.”
Maria, who has lived at the Plaza at Sierra for eight years, said the food pantry does more than just serve nutrition: it creates a lasting community.
“This monthly food pantry gives us extra nutrition, gets us up and moving and helps us meet new people in our community,” Maria said. “Sometimes we even make new friends. And we learn to help each other, too. If someone has a physical disability and they need help with their groceries or something else, now they know dozens of people who live near them that can help!”
The fresh food pantry is supported by the Fontana Foundation of Hope, a nonprofit established by the late Jack Long, a former National CORE resident. Each month, more than 120 seniors line up for the distribution, which provides enough fresh fruits, vegetables and, at times, eggs to last up to two weeks.
The event has become a cornerstone of community life. Seniors often arrive up to 90 minutes early to visit with neighbors while they wait. Ramona and many others volunteer to help pack food bags for their fellow residents.
Fernando and his mother, Aurora, have lived at the Plaza at Sierra for only six months, but already they are feeling the benefits of the food pantry.
“The food pantry giveaway is so great – it allows my mother to get up and out of her apartment and lets her to socialize instead of her watching TV all day,” Fernando said. “Having it here in the community is so helpful. People forget that the elderly mostly don’t drive, so now a trip to and from the grocery store includes an expensive Uber ride. But now they just come down to their community room. It’s like a little Christmas every month.”
This pantry is part of the Hope Through Housing Foundation’s Connections to Care program, which supports senior health, wellness and stability – helping residents not just remain housed but live with dignity and connection.
As we close out the year, Ramona, Maria and Fernando remind us that affordable housing is only the starting point. Your support helps ensure seniors have access to the food, care and community they need to thrive.
Please consider making a year-end gift today.
Watch the video: Pantry Program Prevents Senior from Going Hungry