PROPOSAL

Under part D of the Senior Citizens Community Planning and Services Act of 1963, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare would make grants on a 50-50 matching basis, under a 5-year program for the construction, equipment, or remodeling of senior activity centers. The sum of $2.5 million would be authorized for the first year, $4 million for the second year and $7.5 million for each of the last 3 years. These funds would be available to public agencies or to voluntary organizations.

The establishment of activity centers for older people was urgently recommended by the White House Conference on Aging and by numerous State and local conferences. (Financial assistance for staffing and operation is possible under part À.)

Fact Sheet No. 23

COMMODITY DONATION PROGRAM (SURPLUS FOODS)

Better nutrition would vastly improve the health status of many older people. With small incomes, far too many elderly people are skimping on food-at a time when our food production exceeds our markets.

The United States has been donating much of this surplus food to those who most need it. Food donated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is channeled from processors and packagers to the States. The States then forward the food to local areas for distribution to needy families.

At the end of 1962, nearly 6.5 million needy persons in family units, including many older men and women, received federally donated foods under programs administered and financed by some 2,000 local governmental units in 48 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific. Donated foods are also distributed to charitable institutions serving some 1.5 million needy, aged, and infirm and to schools having noon lunch programs.

Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture, each State establishes eligibility standards and rules of procedure subject to approval by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. State and local agencies are also responsible for the receipt, storage, handling, and distribution of donated foods.

Food distribution to families is usually on a once-a-month basis. Currently, chopped meat, flour, dry milk, dry beans, cheese, rolled wheat, cornmeal, lard, rice, peanut butter, and butter are available. At present, surplus foods are being made directly available to lowincome households in almost all States, and many older persons living alone or with others are receiving them. Similarly, surplus foods are being donated throughout the Nation to most of the nonprofit institutions which serve the aging.

The Department of Agriculture will increase its efforts to further the use of this resource on behalf of the elderly.

Fact Sheet No. 24

FOOD STAMP ACT OF 1963

BACKGROUND

An alternative method to distributing surplus food directly to the needy has been operating on a pilot basis in some areas of the country for 2 years. This is the food-stamp program through which families, certified as eligible by local public welfare agencies, are able to obtain more food than their meager incomes would otherwise enable them to buy. Eligible persons pay the amount for food coupons that they would normally be expected to spend for food. The coupons are of greater value than their cost, thus enabling families to buy additional food.

On an average, a family invests about $6 for every $10 of coupons they receive. The coupons can then be used to buy any food the family wishes-except a few imported items-out of regular commercial supplies at retail outlets normally used by the family.

Pilot food-stamp programs are now operating in 19 counties and 2 cities in 15 States. By June 30, 1963, additional projects will be initiated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in another 25 counties and 1 city in 8 more States.

At the end of 1962, 189,000 Americans, including many on limited pensions or on public assistance, were enjoying better diets from increased food-purchasing power under the food-stamp program. According to a food consumption study in two of the pilot areas, meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables accounted for more than 80 percent of the gains in the value of foods consumed.

PROPOSAL

Legislation will be proposed in the very near future to permit the progressive expansion of the food-stamp program into all areas of the Nation where conditions warrant its establishment. The extension of this program will be particularly beneficial to older people. The actual physical task of shopping is easier under this system, which permits them to market at their neighborhood stores as need arises, rather than to travel to surplus food depots and transport a month's supply at one time. The wider choice of foods permitted under this plan also makes possible better nutrition.

More than 2.2 million men and women 65 years of age or older are on public assistance their only resource for the basic necessities of life. The average amounts of these payments vary widely-from a high of $104.93 per month per person in California to a low of $34.77 per month in Mississippi.

More than 14 million retired men and women receive monthly social security checks; for many this is their only money income. These payments average $72.40 per month for a single retired person and $127.10 for a retired couple.

With the extension of the food-stamp program, millions of older men and women will be able to stretch their food money further and to obtain better nutrition. This is of vital importance to older people who find themselves with lowered income at a time in life when health problems are likely to develop.

Fact Sheet No. 25

ADULT BASIC EDUCATION 2

BACKGROUND

In the United States today there are 8.3 million adults 25 years of age and older who are functionally illiterate-who have not completed the fourth grade. Over 900,000 of these illiterate adults are 65 years of age and over. Of the nearly 23 million adults who have less than an eighth grade education, about one-half are over 45 years of age.

Persons with low educational attainment have great difficulty in meeting their economic and social needs in modern society. For older people-frequently beset with problems of health, low income, and the necessity of adapting to a changing way of life-undereducation represents an overwhelming handicap.

Uneducated and undereducated adults are not only limited in their personal development but their communities are deprived of the contributions they could make as trained volunteer workers or wage earners if adequately equipped to perform elementary tasks requiring some degree of proficiency in language and arithmetic.

Lower educational attainment is most prevalent among middle-aged and older people. Unless this problem is dealt with firmly and promptly, it will continue for several more decades.

PROPOSAL

A 3-year program of grants to the States would be established for adult basic-education projects in the public schools or other facilities used by local educational agencies. An appropriation of $5 million would be authorized for fiscal year 1964 and such sums as may be necessary the following 2 years. In the third year of the program, States would be required to match Federal funds on a 50-50 basis.

Funds would be allotted to the States on the basis of the number of adults unable to read and write English or who have less than an eighth grade education. The minimum allotment for each State would be $50,000 per year.

Older people would have the opportunity to learn to read and write and do simple arithmetic and to acquire an elementary school education. This would not only enrich their personal lives but would open new doors for those in semiretirement who wish to obtain jobs and hold them. In addition, upgrading the educational attainment of parents and older people would tend to create greater appreciation of the importance of education of children thereby contributing to the general advancement of American education.

2 As proposed in the President's message on education and in the National Education Improvement Act of 1963.

Fact Sheet No. 26

UNIVERSITY EXTENSION EDUCATION 2

BACKGROUND

Increasingly, education is being regarded as a lifelong process as a means of personal enrichment as well as a means of obtaining skills and knowledge leading to new avenues of employment.

Many of the 17.5 million Americans now 65 years of age or over would benefit by continuing their formal education. Our society, too, would benefit from the contributions older citizens could make in any number of professional capacities where maturity is an asset.

A number of older men and women have gone back to college and have returned to the mainstream of American life as teachers and social workers and in other professional capacities. Many other older people would like to continue their education. They are held back, generally, by two things: The cost of tuition and the distance of colleges and universities from their homes. Many universities have expressed their desire to lower tuition fees and to provide additional teaching staff and curricula for older adults; they have been restricted by the necessity of making their extension courses fully self-supporting.

PROPOSAL

Federal grants would be made available to State universities and land-grant colleges to help establish or expand publicly supported programs of general extension education at the college level or above. Funds authorized for fiscal year 1964 would be $9,040,000 to be matched on a 50-50 basis. The same sum would be authorized for each of the 2 succeeding fiscal years.

The passage of the proposed legislation would permit the universities to charge lower fees or no fees to older students. It would provide funds to help develop experimental education programs particularly suited to the needs of older people.

Fact Sheet No. 27

LIBRARY SERVICES 2

BACKGROUND

Free library service is vitally important to self-education, cultural growth, good citizenship, vocational competence, and the better use of leisure for the people of any community.

About three-fourths of the 17.5 million people 65 years of age or older live in urban areas. More and more, they spend leisure time or want to spend leisure time-reading and using the public libraries

2 As proposed in the President's message on education and in the National Education Improvement Act of 1963.

for a variety of educational activities. But, in many urban areas, the library is the oldest public building, poorly located, and lacking space for books, materials, or people. Few public libraries have facilities designed to meet the special needs of older men and women.

PROPOSAL

The Library Services Act, passed in 1956 and extended in 1960 through June 30, 1966, is limited to assisting States in developing public library service in rural areas. It is proposed that the act be expanded to include other areas of the States and that funds be provided for construction grants to help build public libraries. Funds for expanding library services would be increased from the present $7.5 to $25 million a year, and funds for construction would be $20 million for fiscal year 1964. Annually, each State would be allotted $100,000 for library services and $80,000 for library construction, plus additional sums based on relative population.

Older people would have increased physical accessibility to public libraries, for the numbers of public library outlets in neighborhoods should increase sharply.

The new buildings could be designed to meet the needs of the aged and the physically handicapped. In addition, bookmobiles could provide a greater flexibility and would be especially beneficial to older people who are unable to leave their homes.

Libraries would be enabled to provide new opportunities for older people to attend group programs, film showings, concerts, and group discussions and to take part in other activities designed to meet their special educational interests and needs.

Fact Sheet No. 28

TEACHER PREPARATION 2

BACKGROUND

This country has a serious shortage of adequately prepared teachers in the public elementary and secondary schools. There are also specialized needs for librarians, for teachers of gifted children and children who are physically or mentally handicapped, and for teachers of adult illiterates.

Among older people who have retired from industry, the professions, or the military service, there are many college-trained men and women who, given special preparation as teachers, could make a valuable contribution to the education of the younger generation. Their very maturity would be an important asset.

With financial help and encouragement, many older people, now retired, would welcome a chance to make this contribution and, at the same time, to find more rewarding lives for themselves.

2 As proposed in the President's message on education and in the National Education Improvement Act of 1963.