ElderSource is the state designated Area Agency on Aging and Aging Resource Center
for Northeast Florida covering Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
ElderSource Chosen to Launch Pilot Project
to Help Low-Income Elders Enroll for Benefits
Jacksonville, FL-More than 10,000 low-income Florida elders who haven’t been able to navigate the
state’s online food stamp enrollment system will now be able to get personal help, thanks to a pilot
project funded by a half-million-dollar grant received by the Department of Elder Affairs.
Florida’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp
program, requires that most applicants for benefits fill out their requests online. However, a
large portion of Florida’s 4.45 million seniors are not regular computer users, and statewide 58
percent of eligible elders do not participate in SNAP. The three-year pilot project will enable
elders who are reluctant or unable to visit an office location or apply online to call the state’s
Elder Helpline and have a trained professional enter the online data for them.
“As Florida government moves further into the electronic age, we must be careful to make sure our
older residents don’t get left behind,” said Elder Affairs Interim Secretary Charles T. Corley. “This pilot
project will help make sure that thousands of elders will be able to receive important help they otherwise
might never have asked for.”
The pilot project will be conducted in 35 of Florida’s 67 counties, served by five Area Agencies on Aging.
The five selected areas have the highest number of low-income elders with the lowest usage of food stamps. In
those counties, 72 percent of eligible elders do not participate in SNAP. ElderSource was one of the five
agencies chosen to pilot the SNAPS program serving the seven county service area of Baker, Duval, Flagler,
Nassau, St. Johns, Volusia, and Clay County.
As the Northeast Florida Area Agency on Aging, ElderSource is the one-stop shop for Seniors and their
caregivers in Northeast Florida. As the Aging Resource Center for this region, ElderSource offers a
variety of services to persons 60 and above.
ElderSource helps you find information, resources, and services for aging related issues. The Elder
Helpline is the portal to a variety of community resources including direct services, like home care & meals
and free, unbiased Medicare/Medicaid counseling. We encourage active seniors with wellness and preventative
activities. For more information about other services and programs click here.
Agency Documents.
Media Release (pdf)
