Just as they were when Mobile Meals of Topeka Inc., now Meals on Wheels, began 41 years ago, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization that provides hot meals and checks on the welfare of senior and homebound individuals in Shawnee and Jefferson counties.
The sequester is hurting programs like Meals on Wheels.
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Meals On Wheels Sequestration Cuts Taking Effect
“But federal funding for senior nutrition has been reduced by budget cuts known as sequestration, meaning less food for old people here and elsewhere. The White House has said the cuts would mean 4 million fewer meals for seniors this year, while the Meals On Wheels Association of America put the loss at 19 million meals. In general, the federal government subsidizes only a portion of the cost of every meal, so whether individual seniors will stop receiving food really depends on the circumstances of whatever local agency serves them.”
Read more here.
Additionally, here is a one-pager on senior programs that are being affected by sequestration.
Sequestration is hurting programs like Meals on Wheels and Head Start which a lot of seniors and children rely on.
Do you know anyone impacted by sequestration?
But federal funding for senior nutrition has been reduced by budget cuts known as sequestration, meaning less food for old people here and elsewhere. The White House has said the cuts would mean 4 million fewer meals for seniors this year, while the Meals On Wheels Association of America put the loss at 19 million meals.
Programs such as Meals on Wheels, help for low-income students in preparing for college, low-income housing vouchers, free emergency lifeline service to seniors, weatherization programs, community health centers – all have been significantly affected [by sequestration].
Remember the Sequester? Well seniors do. Because it continues to hurt them on a daily basis. Meals on Wheels is one of the programs being affected by sequestration which continues to hurt millions of seniors.
WASHINGTON – More older Americans will miss meals and other services as federal spending fails to keep pace with rising need, according to a report released Tuesday.
The sequester is devastating seniors.
Mapping the Sequester
The sequester has been hurting communities and families throughout the nation. Because of the sequester, more than 650,000 workers in the defense industry will face a 20 percent pay cut for the rest of the summer. These cuts are a significant financial hit to any household. Meanwhile, children are being kicked off their Head Start programs, seniors are losing meal service, and cancer and other medical research programs are facing cuts. The map below gives a snapshot of reports on how communities across the nation are being hit by the sequester.
The brunt of the cuts have fallen in areas like medical and science research funding and services that help the poor, sick and elderly.
The sequester slashed 57,000 children this fall from the rolls of Head Start daycare and preschool programs, available for poor families nationwide.
About two-thirds of Meals on Wheels programs had to reduce the number of meals they served, by an average of 364 meals per week, a survey found.
Further reading on the Sequester and its impact on seniors can be found here.
Meals on Wheels
For years, Melvin Lewis was the ideal candidate for the Meals on Wheels program that faithfully rolled up to his door in Maine twice a week. A cancer survivor and diabetic, he scraped by on a tight budget and had difficulty getting around.
Lewis dropped the program for several months when he moved into a nursing home, but after his health improved this spring, he settled into his own efficiency apartment. The 79-year-old widower then reapplied — only to discover it wasn’t that simple.
Spectrum Generations, the social service agency that serves the elderly, disabled adults and their families in six central Maine counties, has been trying to absorb a $70,000 loss in federal aid even as it faces increased demands for help. For the first time in its 40-year history, agency officials say, there’s a waiting list for its Meals on Wheels program. Lewis is among about 110 names.
“The stories of people waiting are horrendous,” says Lynda Johnson, one of the agency’s nutrition coordinators. “There are people who have terminal cancer, people in wheelchairs or with dementia. It’s been horrible. It’s hard to say, ‘No, I cannot help you at this time.’ ”
In Washington, Flight Delays = “Crisis”; Meals on Wheels Cuts = “Oh, well”.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a plea for expanding Social Security benefits on Tuesday… in support of Rep. John Larson’s Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust bill. Read more here: https://www.ncpssm.org/entitledtoknow/rep-larson-introduces-social-security-2100-a-sacred-trust-bill/. #Secure2100 #SocialSecurity
