As I was busily clipping the plethora of coupons from the Maine Sunday Telegram, I had time to reflect on how disturbed I was by the juxtaposition of two items in the Jan. 5 paper.

Although I don’t consider my family or me to be “food insecure,” I do clip coupons and shop sales to cover the rising cost of food and groceries.

The front-page article on hunger in the elderly (“The Challenge of Our Age: Keeping hunger at bay”) was shocking and disturbing. This was coupled with the recent cut in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the growing need for securing appropriate nutrition among our growing senior population.

I am a retired nurse, and I have heard more than once from elderly clients that they had to make a choice between buying food and filling drug prescriptions.

After reading that story, I happened to read the review of a high-end Portland eatery (“Dine Out: Innovative Hugo’s presents fine dining at its absolute finest”). The review was elitist and cloying in saying that it can cost $100 a person to over $300 a couple to dine there. I know that Portland has the reputation as a “foodie” oasis, but only if you have the money to blow.

I wonder how many people could be fed if that money were donated to a food pantry or soup kitchen. Maine’s seniors, along with all its population, need to be food secure.

Skip Brushaber

Westbrook