Federal budget cuts could hurt local meal delivery programs for seniors

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officials for meal delivery services in Linn County say they are in a wait-and-see mode after President Donald Trump's administration, in March, released a proposed budget that includes billions in cuts to the departments through which federal dollars flow to help provide meals to those in need.

For now, no changes are planned at Horizons, a Cedar Rapids-based human services agency, and Central City's Senior Dining, both of which offer meal delivery services for senior citizens in Linn County.

But officials say should cuts come, they'll have to think about new ways of generating operating income and may have to create waiting lists for those wishing to sign up for service.

'If we even only think about it in the structure of 10 years, these extreme budget cuts can have a tremendous impact heading into 2030,” said Karl Cassell, president and CEO of Horizons, which delivers noon meals five days a week, as well as frozen meals for the weekend, to 1,000 seniors in Linn County. 'As we talk about population growth and all of the rising cost of education and 50 percent of the jobs that are going to be in the future aren't even created yet - are we preparing people to be able to allow the generation before them to stand on their shoulders?

'I don't know. We're cutting their legs off.”

Trump's proposed 2018 federal budget includes a near 18 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services, from $84.1 billion this year to $69.0 billion, a $15.1 billion reduction.

It also includes a 13 percent cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, from $46.9 billion this year to $40.7 billion, a $6.2 billion reduction.

The cuts to these and other departments are part of an effort to increase funding for the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Officials for Meals on Wheels America, which oversees meal delivery programs across the country, said in a statement that the primary source of funding for its services comes from the Department of Health and Human Services through the Older Americans Act. The money provides 35 percent of the organization's total funding nationally for both congregate and home-delivered meals.

'It is difficult to imagine a scenario in which these critical services would not be significantly and negatively impacted if (the proposed budget is) enacted into law,” Meals on Wheels America officials said in a statement.

Federal dollars flow to the Linn County meal delivery agencies through the local the Heritage Area Agency on Aging. The flow of these dollars has been stagnant over the last decade due to a rising senior population across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With further cuts to funding, both Cassell and Hollie Kane, director of Central City Senior Dining, say their programs may have to resort to putting clients on waiting lists.

Additional funding for Meals on Wheels programs comes in the form of Community Development Block Grants, which are administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump's budget proposes doing away with the $3 billion block grant program entirely and suggests meal delivery programs have missed their mark.

'The Federal Government has spent more than $150 billion on this block grant since its inception in 1974, but the program is not well targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results,” the budget proposal states.

Cassell said the average income for Horizons' clients is $11,000 a year and without the meals, they may be forced to chose between food and medicine.

'So now they're not eating, and it's only going to exacerbate whatever physical condition they're already dealing with,” Cassell said. 'So you can't have one without the other. They have to work in tandem.”

Kane said Central City Senior Dining, in February, delivered about 900 meals to residents in rural Linn County - places like Coggon, Alburnett, Waubeek, Walker, Prairieburg and Troy Mills. Kane said program officials are in the process of adding Center Point to the delivery route.

Some local dollars help fund both the Horizons and Central City Senior Dining programs. In fiscal year 2016, Horizons received about $98,000 in funding from Linn County. Central City Senior Dining - which was recently added to Linn County's annual budget process for 2018 - received $16,000 in surplus funds from the county in 2015 and 2016.

Cassell said officials at Horizons are looking at possible alternative funding ideas, and also want to make the organization's endowment fund with the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation more well known to the general public.

'I think we're optimistic we'll be able to continue to function in the same way we are,” Cassell said.

Kane, on the other hand, said Central City is holding off on any major fundraising decisions until they receive word on the state of next year's funding. She says she can't see the government cutting significant funding for a program that helps seniors in need.

'I'm hoping for the best, because I really cannot see the government doing that,” she said.

l Comments: (319) 368-8536; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com