“Hunger in America is a growth industry but we have solutions.”
Enid Borden offers an inspiring mix of pragmatism, optimism and outrage.
“Shame on us. When we talk about hunger, we forget about seniors. I call them the ‘hidden hungry’. They’re behind closed doors. They’re not seen or heard,” she says. “And often times, we neglect them – somebody needs to be their voice.”
Borden, the Founder & President /CEO of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger served as President and CEO of the Meals On Wheels Association of America for more than 20 years. She knows all about seniors on a fixed income who have limited abilities as the cost of living rises.
“I will tell anybody who will listen: we have a moral obligation to make sure our seniors get healthy food,” says the New York native.
The Keynote Speaker at the Capital Area Food Bank’s upcoming Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference says she is looking forward to addressing the crowd of organizations and individuals invested in eradicating hunger.
Being able to talk to people at the hunger conference is invaluable, she says.
“People who are on the front lines – those involved in daily programs – can’t really get involved in research. We are data driven, we take what we learn from what we hear, and we say, ‘How do we make a societal shift to turn those numbers around?’”
“I’ve been doing this for nearly a quarter of a century, and although we do talk a lot about hunger, the missing component is seniors,” she insists.
Her organization’s annual report to the nation will be released in May. Titled The State of Senior Hunger in America, it asks: How many seniors face hunger? Where do they live? What kind of services are they receiving?
“The numbers are getting worse, not better” is her grim preview. But she has not lost hope. “Now, the question is, how do we apply what we know?” Forever driven by the deep belief that there are solutions to be found, she is more determined than ever.
Borden, who is recognized in Who’s Who in the Media and Communications and in the book Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time will not be giving up her fight to end senior hunger.
“I’m 63 – I’m a senior myself! I am very fortunate. All of my work is on behalf of those who aren’t as fortunate.”