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Mountain View News Saturday, April 12, 2025

FREE ASSISTED LIVING PLACEMENT SERVICE

 

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Benefit from our extensive network and affordable 
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SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …APRIL BIRTHDAYS*

Howard Rubin, Anita Hardy, Hattie Harris, Marilyn Diaz, Virginia Elliott, 
Elma Flores, Betty Jo Gregg, Barbara Lampman, Betty Mackie, Elizabeth 
Rassmusen, Maria Reyes, Marian DeMars, Anne Schryver, Chrisine 
Bachwansky, Colleen McKernan, Sandy Swanson, Hank Landsberg, Ken 
Anhalt, Shannon Vandevelde, Barbara Rounkle, Wendy Senour 

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


SENIORS ON TIGHT BUDGETS FACE FOOD CHALLENGES 
— BUT HELP IS GROWING

For many seniors living on fixed incomes, putting healthy food on the table is becoming harder than 
ever. Rising grocery prices, medical bills, and housing costs often leave little left for nutritious meals.

In California alone, nearly 1.5 million seniors qualify for CalFresh, the state’s food assistance program, 
but don’t use it. Experts say this is often due to misconceptions about eligibility, a complicated 
application process, or the stigma around asking for help.

“This is food people are entitled to,” said a spokesperson for CalFresh outreach. “Many seniors simply 
don’t realize they qualify.”

Across the country, creative solutions are popping up to help. Home-delivered meal programs like 
Meals on Wheels provide not only healthy food but also regular wellness checks. Studies show these 
programs can reduce hospital visits and save healthcare costs in the long run.

In Michigan, The Bridge Food Center is a new kind of affordable grocery store for seniors and low-income 
families. It offers healthy food choices at reduced prices in a friendly, supportive environment.

Healthcare providers are also stepping in. The growing "Food is Medicine" movement recognizes 
that good nutrition is a key part of health care. Programs like EatSF and Vouchers 4 Veggies are giving 
out produce prescriptions — vouchers seniors can use to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

Even some restaurants are getting involved, with programs that offer affordable meals for seniors in 
a social setting, reducing isolation as well as hunger.

Experts agree that improving seniors’ access to healthy food doesn’t just improve nutrition — it 
boosts physical and emotional well-being.

Help is out there for seniors struggling to eat well on a limited budget. The challenge now is making 
sure they know it — and feel comfortable using it.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

THE JOURNEY OF 1,000 ILES BEGINS WITH AN 
APPLE FRITTER

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THEFT IDENTITY 
SCAMS


Life has many paths, and I 
have discovered that traveling 
any of them takes a lot of energy.

Unlike The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, 
my energy comes from those 
wonderful Apple Fritters. I can't remember 
the first time I had one, but I vividly 
remember the last time.

Trying to get through life successfully 
is quite an energetic activity; everybody 
needs that energy. Finding that energy is 
the great secret of life.

For years, I have tried convincing The 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage of the 
value of an Apple Fritter, at least for me. 
We've had this argument or rather discussion, 
and I have tried to prove that an 
Apple Fritter is a fruit. After all, isn't an 
apple fruit? And shouldn't we be eating 
fruit?

On the other side of the dining room table, 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
gets her energy from eating broccoli. 
I don't even like pronouncing the name, 
let alone seeing it on the dining room table. 
But for her, broccoli is the Queen of 
all vegetables. (Yuck)

I argue that I'm a fruit guy, but she misuses 
that phrase and calls me a fruity guy.

I can remember one time in my life when 
I ate broccoli. It was so disgusting that 
I have never eaten it again. I can't even 
stand the smell of broccoli in our house.

Every once in a while, I smell broccoli 
from the kitchen and know it's on the 
dinner menu tonight. I don't mind having 
broccoli on the table, but I certainly 
do not accept having it on my plate.

Through the years, I have tried to negotiate 
with her and tell her I will eat Apple 
fritters when she eats broccoli. After all, 
it's what we like.

Once I was a good negotiator. My mother 
was trying to get me to eat spinach, which 
I really hated. One Saturday, I was watching 
Popeye the Sailor on TV. When my 
mother saw me watching it, she said, 
"See, Popeye loves spinach. I think you 
should be eating spinach too."

Without even looking at her, I said, "Popeye 
also smokes a pipe. Does that mean I 
can smoke a pipe?" That discussion never 
came up again.

That's the only negotiating on food I've 
ever won.

For some reason, The Gracious Mistress 
of the Parsonage hates Apple fritters. I 
think she hates them more than I hate 
broccoli.

For me, Apple fritters provide the energy 
I need to build up my attitude of excitement 
in life. Nothing does that better 
than Apple fritters.

She argues that because of my health 
condition, my food has to be sugar-free. 
I don't know who came up with that idea, 
but a sugar-free menu certainly is not 
appealing.

"Don't you know," she will explain, "that 
there is sugar in those Apple fritters? And 
you need to be on a sugar-free diet."

After years of debate, I finally thought of 
a solution. I talked to the baker where I 
get most of my Apple fritters and we both 
came to an amicable agreement. I asked 
him how much sugar was in an Apple 
Fritter, and he told me. I asked if he could 
make the sugar free instead of paying for 
it. After all, if all the sugar is free, then according 
to The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage, it is okay for me to eat.

I tried explaining to her that sugar is always 
free whenever I buy an Apple Fritter, 
so technically speaking, the Apple fritters 
I purchase at my bakery are sugar-free.

How to be simpler than that is beyond 
my resources. She didn't accept that argument 
and seriously said, "That is not what 
I'm talking about. The sugar in that Apple 
Fritter is dangerous to your health."

Apart from The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage, nothing is sweeter than an 
Apple Fritter. Whether I pay for the sugar 
or it comes free doesn't really matter to 
me. Honestly, I don't eat Apple fritters 
every day. I am very disciplined when it 
comes to my diet. I can't explain my frequency 
for obvious reasons.

Once in a while, I have this inward yearning 
for an Apple Fritter. If I haven't had 
one in some time, I begin thinking about 
it and am famished for one.

Controlling my diet at my age is very important. 
I'm not as young or skinny as I 
once was. I understand that and realize I 
cannot eat like I am 18. But sometimes, I 
need to enjoy something that will nourish 
my current enthusiasm. Several things 
come to my mind, but the first thing is an 
Apple Fritter.

I'm not sure who invented the Apple Fritter, 
but I'd like to meet them someday, 
shake their hand, and thank them.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
and I will celebrate our 54th wedding anniversary 
this August. Amazingly, we've 
been together this long, and our only 
disagreement during that time has been 
the Apple Fritters/broccoli controversy. 
That's a remarkable accomplishment, especially 
in the day we live.

So, if I gave up Apple Fritters, we would 
have no disagreements. What kind of life 
would that be?

While thinking about this a favorite verse 
of Scripture came to mind. “Can two 
walk together, except they be agreed?” 
(Amos 3:3)

It’s not so much what you don’t agree on 
but rather on what you to agree on. That’s 
what brings to people together.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL 
with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-
mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website 
www.jamessnyderministries.com

Dear Savvy Senior,

I am very concerned about Elon Musk and the 
so-called DOGE team getting access to my Social 
Security number and personal financial information 
through their government office raids. What 
can I personally do to help protect myself from this 
identity theft mess? Worried Senior

Dear Worried,

It’s a great question! I’ve been hearing from many 
older readers around the country that are deeply 
troubled by the news that the Elon Musk-led 
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) 
has been granted access to millions of Americans’ 
Social Security records that include highly 
sensitive personal information. 

The major concern among data privacy experts 
is what could happen if your Social Security 
number, bank account information or tax records 
somehow gets leaked or breeched in all 
the data shuffling. If your information gets in 
the wrong hands it could lead to identity theft, 
which means scammers could use your personal 
information to open credit card accounts, bank 
accounts, telephone service accounts, and make 
major purchases – all in your name.

If you’re concerned about the privacy of your 
personal information, the best way to protect 
yourself is to put a “fraud alert,” or better yet a 
“credit freeze” on your credit file.

A fraud alert is a notification placed on your 
credit report that signals to potential creditors 
to take extra steps to verify your identity before 
extending credit in your name. While a credit 
freeze completely restricts access to your credit 
report, essentially preventing anyone from opening 
new accounts in your name without your explicit 
authorization.

A credit freeze provides much stronger protection 
than a fraud alert, but there is a drawback. 
When you freeze your credit, you won’t be able 
to open new credit cards or get a new loan while 
the freeze in place. It does not, however, prevent 
you from using the credit cards you already have 
open.

If you do need to get a new credit card or some 
type of loan, you can always lift the freeze on 
your account until you get the card or loan approved, 
and then refreeze it.

You’ll also be happy to know that a credit freeze 
is completely free to put in place and lift, as are 
fraud alerts. And neither action will affect your 
credit score.

Fraud Alert Set-Up

To set up a fraud alert, you’ll need to contact 
one of the three major credit reporting bureaus 
– Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – either by 
phone, online or by mail. You only need to contact 
one of these agencies, and they will notify 
the other two. Here’s the phone and website contact 
information for each of the three bureaus.

Equifax: 800-685-1111 or Equifax.com/personal/
credit-report-services

Experian: 888-397-3742 or Experian.com/help

TransUnion: 888-909-8872 or TransUnion.com/
credit-help

If you haven’t been a victim of identity theft, 
you’ll need to set up an “initial fraud alert,” 
which lasts for one year, although you can renew 
it for additional one-year periods.

Credit Freeze Set-Up

To set up a credit freeze you’ll need to contact 
each of the three previously listed credit reporting 
bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. 
A credit freeze lasts until you unfreeze 
it.

But remember, before you apply for new credit 
card or loan, you’ll need to temporarily lift the 
security freeze by following the procedures from 
each of the credit reporting bureaus where you 
placed the freeze.

If, however, you don’t want to set up a fraud alert 
or credit freeze, you can still keep an eye on your 
credit file by reviewing your credit report regularly. 
You can get a free credit report each week 
from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion by going 
to AnnualCreditReport.com.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com