Like many special projects at Beaumont, support for ElderNet, a local nonprofit that provides a range of free services to older and disabled adults, started as an inspired idea among residents. They approached the Beaumont board in 2024 for a $10,000 donation to ElderNet, while they volunteered to provide transportation, grocery shopping, manning the food pantry and other much needed services.
Marlynne C., a Beaumont resident since 2012, is passionate about the program. “I want to support older area residents and help them remain independent in their homes. We have so much here at Beaumont; we are so fortunate that to share some of my plenty takes so little.”
Fellow volunteer Stan B. packing the car after a shopping trip.
Typically, on Mondays she shops for paper and canned goods, and a wide assortment of fresh produce with money donated by fellow Beaumont residents. With help from her good friend Stan B. the cases and bags are loaded into her car (“My back is not what it used to be,” she said mournfully) and dropped off at the ElderNet center on Bryn Mawr Avenue. “Tuesdays I take my shift at the food pantry,” said Marlynne.
Even in wealthier suburbs like Bryn Mawr, food insecurity is on the rise. Feeding America, a non-profit national network of food banks and a leading organization working to end hunger in the United States, compiles data and publishes its annual Food Insecurity map. Tellingly, food insecurity in Montgomery County stands at 9.9%, the equivalent of roughly 85,500 people. The average meal cost in the area is roughly $4.25, suggesting that an additional $68,945,000 would be needed to supply enough food.
Justine Babcock directs the ElderNet food pantry and explained that “we serve anyone whose income qualifies them to receive federally funded TEFAP food (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), which means making less than $27,861 annually for a single person, and not more than $57,720 for a family.” Current attitudes in Washington do not favor federal support for this program or others like SNAP and Medicaid, and the need for supplemental food programs is projected to increase rapidly. “Marlynne has been such a massive help in organizing food and monetary collections for us,” added Justine.
Area residents line up early in the morning for the 9:00 opening of the pantry. They take a number and can peruse the outer sections stacked with paper goods and personal items, canned goods and non-perishables, and then move on to Marlynne’s table of fresh produce. Not surprising to those who know her, she doesn’t just dump the food on a table but arranges the fruit and vegetables into a colorful and well-organized display.
“On a basic level, I’m doing something authentic, something that feels good,” explained Marlynne. “It’s not a public gesture. When I send checks to organizations, I don’t know what happens with the money. Here, I’m an active participant and I see the benefits of our efforts first-hand. And that is priceless.”
To add your support to ElderNet, contact Audrey Walsh at awalsh@beaumontretirement.com, visit the ElderNet center at 9 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, or contact them directly at 610-525-0706.
