On a sunny July morning, the Southwest Senior Center in Gage Park was buzzing with more than just its usual classes and conversations. The recreation room was transformed into a pop-up farmers market, with tables stacked with baskets of tomatoes, peaches, peppers and greens fresh from a local farm. Seniors chatted and browsed as they spent their Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons.
Ricardo and Ana Carpintero, both 67, were among them. The couple first came to the center nearly a decade ago looking for a place to exercise after Ricardo retired. Over the years, it has become a second home to them – a place for fitness, friends and now fresh produce.
Ricardo and Ana Carpintero are grateful for the coupons the received at the Southwest Senior Center. (Photos by Jim Vondruska for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.)
“This program has been very helpful for us,” Ricardo said. “Last year, we got fresh fruits and vegetables, and they were delicious. It’s one of many great things about this center. They have activities, gym, fitness, and it is a great place for community.”
Bringing fresh produce to older adults
This is the fourth year the Southwest Senior Center has distributed the coupons, a federally funded program provided through the Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The program gives eligible seniors $25 in coupons to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.
For many older adults on fixed incomes, the coupons are a boost that help them enjoy nutritious produce while also supporting local farmers. The Food Depository began distributing Senior Farmers Market coupons throughout Chicago in the summer of 2022. Since then, the program’s reach has grown significantly. This year, more than 11,000 booklets will be distributed through events at different senior center sites across Chicago.
Christina shows off a ripe peach she picked up at the pop-up market.
Last summer, to make it easier for seniors to use their coupons, the Food Depository began to invite farmers to come directly to the distribution events, turning them into small pop-up markets. This meant that seniors could shop for fresh produce on the spot while local farmers gained direct access to new customers.
A community of support
Susana and Filiberto Torres, both 73, first visited the center about a year and a half ago after the loss of a close friend who had been a regular there. They quickly discovered a place full of opportunities, not just for social connection but also for practical support.
“Last year we got the coupons for the first time,” Susana recalled. “It was a great help to us. We are on a fixed income, so any bit of extra is helpful. We bought tomatoes, peaches and broccoli.”
Susana and Filiberto Torres are about to browse the fresh produce at the pop-up market.
The Torreses also receive senior food boxes through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a USDA program that provides monthly food boxes to low-income seniors aged 60 and older, which the Food Depository helps to distribute. “They have a lot of great stuff,” Susana said. “We are grateful for it.”
Beyond food assistance, the center has become a source of joy and community. “We are really happy to have this center. It is a big help for us, and we have a lot of fun here,” Filiberto said. Their weekly schedule includes yoga, Zumba, coloring classes and visits from social service providers, including benefits outreach partners from the Food Depository, who help seniors navigate benefits and resources.
Staying active and engaged
For Diana Banks-Taylor, 67, the center has been a fixture in her life for 17 years. She is committed to maintaining an active lifestyle, so she is grateful that the center helps her do that.
Diana Banks-Taylor is excited about the greens she is bringing home from the pop-up market.
“I love to be active, I like to exercise and eat healthy, so it is great that they have so many activities for us,” she said.
“It is nice to have the coupons because you can shop at these farmers markets that you might not always be able to go to,” Banks-Taylor said. “It is great quality food. It is very fresh. I got greens, peppers and cherries today.”
Giving back through volunteering
Ethel Marks, 71, joined the center earlier this year, inspired by a co-worker who serves as the center’s director. Not long after signing up, she began volunteering to help with programs like the coupon distribution.
Ethel Marks stays active by volunteering and participating in programs at the Southwest Senior Center.
“It is helpful to the community because a lot of people do not have resources,” Marks said. “I think this (the coupon distribution and pop-up market) is an awesome resource and an awesome activity for the seniors. Many seniors do not have the income to shop at farmers’ markets on their own, so it is great.”
More than a meal
Thanks to the Senior Farmers Market Coupon Program, thousands of older adults across Chicago and Cook County can bring home fresh, healthy produce. By hosting coupon distributions at multiple locations and inviting farmers to sell on-site, the Food Depository helps make nutritious, locally grown food more accessible while strengthening the connection between the community and area farmers.
For seniors like Ricardo, Susana, Filiberto, Diana, Ethel and many others, the program means more meals filled with the flavors they love and the comfort of knowing good food is within reach.
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