FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2025
Contact: Matt Reed, mreed@dhad.org, 330-899-5208
Expiring funding sources threaten access to vital nutrition for older Ohioans.
Summit County, OH – Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities and local senior nutrition providers are partnering to advocate for funding sources to maintain access to meals for older adults in need. There are two challenges that are impacting home-delivered and congregate meals for older populations: expiring funding sources that are driving up waitlists, and administrative restructuring that is putting added stress on service delivery.
At the front of the issue is the expiration of one-time or COVID-related funding that addressed meal insecurity from 2020-2025. An estimated 3,830 older adults will need to be transitioned off of meal programming at Direction Home in 2025. Over 650 older adults are already on a waiting list for meals through Direction Home programming.
“We have been fortunate to maximize the amount of meal services in our region in recent years through efficient use of additional COVID-era funding,” stated Abby Morgan, President and CEO of Direction Home. “But seniors who are receiving meals today should not have to worry about whether they will receive a meal next month. Their needs will not change regardless of funding changes.”
Furthermore, home-delivered meal providers across the U.S. primarily rely on the Older Americans Act for funding. With all of the changes taking place in federal programs, it is important to understand how these services are funded and what are the plans for these programs moving forward. With the dismantling of the Administration for Community Living (the Federal Agency overseeing the Older Americans Act), and proposed restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services, it is uncertain exactly how funding will be administered for home-delivered meals moving forward.
Direction Home, as an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), is the primary funder for home-delivered meals for older adults in the region and allocates resources to a network of service providers that then deliver the meals to doorsteps.
The Older Americans Act and this network of aging services providers have a long history of matching local funding with Federal dollars to extend the reach of services. As a result, our meal networks can prepare and deliver a meal for under $10. It is an efficient delivery system. The need for more meal funding and access will still exist even as one-time or temporary monetary sources end. Similarly, it is important for meal recipients to stay educated on the funding sources for their meals so that they can be aware of potential threats to their access.
Community participation in education, donations, and advocacy will continue to be crucial as more individuals are disconnected from the meal services they are relying on.
Donate to Direction Home to help provide home-delivered and congregate meals
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