Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is among 28 senators from both parties urging the federal government to expand food stamp programs to home delivery for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter, the senators asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to get their food through home deliveries or curbside pickups.

SNAP is a federal program that supplements the food budgets of needy families.

The senators wrote that under coronavirus precautions, many people are unable to travel and if they do, they risk exposure to the virus.

“This is especially true for seniors and immunocompromised individuals who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, as well as individuals with disabilities and families who lack reliable transportation,” the senators wrote.

Barbara Donegan, site manager of housing development for senior citizens at Alameda Gardens, said the delivery service would be very helpful for her residents.

“I think it's absolutely a great idea,” Donegan said. “It is an ordeal for them to have to go out and get groceries. .... It can be done. There is a way that it can be done, and I think it ought to be done. We've got different state agencies that you think would step up to the plate and say, 'Hey we'll do the delivery service.'”

In their letter, the senators also note that the process already is available through the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, but the program is limited to a few states. Pennsylvania is not one of them.

Donegan said many of her more than 20 residents are SNAP recipients and getting to a grocery store always has been a challenge. But the task has become even more difficult because of the virus.

Donegan said her residents are contending with limited transportation options and forced restrictions on family members who would be able to help.

“They're the forgotten ones. They really are, Especially now with all this going on,” Donegan said. “This whole thing has just been so horrible for them.”

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., did not sign the letter to the USDA, and a spokesman from his office declined to comment.