I am writing in response to the wonderful article “The Challenge of Our Age: Keeping hunger at bay” (Jan. 5) by Gillian Graham:

While hunger is difficult to think about, it is indeed the reality many older Mainers confront every day. As an AmeriCorps VISTA and the SNAP outreach coordinator partnered with AARP Foundation and AARP Maine, I have seen firsthand the face of hunger and can relate to the daily struggles low-income Mainers face.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is the largest federally funded nutrition assistance program in the country. It is one of the leading and most successful programs in place to address food insecurity and poverty. Unfortunately, it is incredibly underutilized in the older population.

Maine has the highest rate of very low food security in New England, which is one reason I am working diligently with the AARP Foundation and AARP Maine to assist older Mainers get connected to the benefits they need and have earned.

No one should be going hungry in Maine. If you know someone who may be eligible for SNAP, please contact your local Department of Health and Human Services office at 1-800-442-6003 or go to www.aarp.org/SNAP.

We all need to work together to help reduce the stigma of hunger and promote initiatives that work to reduce it!

Brooke Libby

SNAP outreach coordinator

AARP Foundation

Portland