Riverside County offering free food for seniors & disabled adults

Riverside County officials today shared a list of food resources for seniors and adults with disabilities who may be stuck at home or struggling to buy groceries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Through the Riverside County Office on Aging, adults over 60 years old or those suffering from disabilities have several options for picking up free food or having it delivered to their doorstep.

"We have a number of programs, depending on our callers' needs and nutritional risk. We will tailor enrollment to any one or more of these important nutrition programs," said Gary Robbins, the Officer of Aging's deputy director for programs and operations.

Robbins said requests for food have tripled in recent weeks, and the department is averaging almost 1,200 calls a day. Seniors or disabled adults can call 800-510-2020, or visit www.RCAging.org to see if they qualify for any of the following resources:

• Grab-and-go meals: up to seven to two weeks of cooked and frozen meals that can be picked up;
• Courtesy pantry: two-week supply of food delivered within five to seven days of being requested;
• Home delivered meals: one to two weeks of delivered food with no person-to-person contact for vulnerable adults; and
• Emergency meals: up to three days of immediate food delivered for "fragile'' adult and seniors

Local restaurants are also being asked to email rcaging@rivco.org if
they are interested in participating in the department's programs.

Riverside County also has a map of food resources available for everyone around all of the county, including here in the Coachella Valley. Click here to view the map.

This map gives directions to local senior meal sites, school district meal sites, and food pantries within a 10-mile radius. The map also includes relevant details such as hours of operation, contact information, and special populations served.

For those looking to support our local businesses. You can find a complete list of local businesses open and any specials they offer at kesq.com/open4biz.