In spite of a strong economy, the percent of seniors at risk of going hungry remains stubbornly high. According to a new report from Feeding America, five and a half million U-S seniors were food insecure 2017, and the percentage who were missing meals has remained near the same level since the start of the Great Recession. Amy Crumbaugh with Feeding America says the total number of older folks is rising. But she says more important may be the fact that many seniors don’t benefit from low unemployment. Crumbaugh says more seniors could get federal food assistance, that they are “underutilizing” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps. She calls SNAP a very effective, very efficient program, which does a huge amount to reduce hunger. But Crumbaugh says some face practical barriers that keep them from applying or using the benefit. And she says some might feel too ashamed to admit they go hungry. The group found nearly eight percent of Indiana seniors were food insecure, slightly higher than the national average. But Crumbaugh says the number in Indianapolis is higher than the state or national average