AARP presents RIFA with $10,000 check to support community relief efforts

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Regional Inter-Faith Association received grant money from a certain organization for the first time.

The American Association of Retired Persons presented a check to the Regional Inter-Faith Association, also known as RIFA, with a check worth $10,000. This will help RIFA continue to give Community Supported Agriculture bags to senior residents.

“We give those out in three growing seasons of the year, so that’s spring, summer and fall. We work with Jackson Housing Authority. Mr. Mark Reid was here today, you saw him. And we distribute those CSA bags of fresh fruits and produce in season. Those fresh fruits go to Rosewood Gardens and Centennial Pass, the two areas that are for low income housing and senior adults,” said Denice Walton, director of development for RIFA.

Carice Morgan, AARP’s community outreach director for the West Division, told us that food insecurity does not just affect seniors, but everyone.

“We have a lot of grandparents that are raising their grandchildren, so if those grandparents are food insecure, that’s spreading to their grandchildren as well. We know and we are grateful for the school system for all the assistance that they offer children that are in school that have needs and are facing food insecurity, but we also need these wonderful programs that RIFA offers to help the guardians or the grandparents that are raising them,” said Morgan.

RIFA also has another program called senior staples.

“We have six different senior citizen centers that we supply with shelf stable food items as well. Those boxes are distributed in conjunction with the senior citizen centers around the area. Those are around 30 to 35 pound boxes and those are all filled with shelf stable food items as well,” said Walton.

Morgan said that what they do at AARP, the Jackson Housing Authority and RIFA, all comes together.

“If you don’t have adequate housing and you don’t have food. Add all of that up. You don’t have access to medical care and you don’t have transportation. Think about that. We take a lot for granted,” said Morgan.

RIFA has been in in existence for almost 50 years, reaching out and lifting up.

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