LABELLE- Adults age 60 and older in Hendry and Glades counties have a new community resource available to them. The SGF Seniors Congregate Meal Program serves free, nutritious meals at three sites in Clewiston, LaBelle and Moore Haven.

The program is open to anyone 60 and older. There is no cost, no income test, and no application. But organizers say the meal is only part of what they're offering. Participants gather for conversation, games and activities, and receive health and wellness information meant to support independent living.

"Beyond nourishment, our Senior Meal Program serves as a vital social hub for seniors," SGF Seniors writes on its website, describing its work as fostering opportunities for social connection and community engagement.

Roughly 7.4 million Americans age 60 and older experienced food insecurity in 2023. According to research conducted by Feeding America, older adults are more likely to live with chronic conditions that make shopping and cooking difficult, more likely to lack reliable transportation to a grocery store, and more likely to be stretching a fixed income across rent, food and medication at the same time. Older adults with disabilities are roughly twice as likely to be food insecure as their peers without disabilities, and older renters are about three times as likely as homeowners.

In Hendry County, 22.5% of residents live below the poverty line, which is nearly double the national rate of 12.5%. In Glades County, 25.8% of residents are 65 or older, well above Florida's 21.2%, and the county's poverty rate sits at 17.2%.

About a quarter of Americans 65 and older living in the community are considered socially isolated. Older adults face elevated risk largely because they're more likely to live alone, to have lost family and friends, and to be managing chronic illness or vision and hearing loss.

Congregate meal programs are designed to address both problems at once. Florida runs roughly 300 such sites statewide under the federal Older Americans Act, serving nutritionally balanced meals along with nutrition education and risk screening, with each meal providing at least one-third of an adult's recommended daily nutrients. In Southwest Florida, services for older adults are coordinated by the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida, which covers Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties and operates the statewide Elder Helpline at 866-41-ELDER.

SGF Seniors encourages newcomers to visit once as a guest, then sign up so the kitchen can plan an accurate count. The LaBelle site has already developed a rhythm of its own: bingo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, plus a small dominoes group.

Meal site locations (all open Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.):

Clewiston — 1200 S. W.C. Owens Ave., Clewiston, FL 33440

LaBelle — 475 E. Cowboy Way, LaBelle, FL 33935

Moore Haven — 200 Second St., Moore Haven, FL 33471

Participants can expect free nutritious meals for adults 60 and older, socialization and community connection, health and wellness information, and recreational and educational activities.

For more information, visit www.sgfseniors.com or call 954-530-6973.