Missouri to receive $1.92M to provide meals to seniors

Missouri will receive $1.92 million in federal stimulus funds for senior nutrition programs, which will provide more than 300,000 meals at senior centers and meals delivered to seniors homes, state officials said Wednesday.

Margaret Donnelly, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, announced the funding during an appearance at the Monroe City Senior Nutrition Center in Monroe County.

This funding is available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is commonly known as the federal stimulus package. Governor Jay Nixon signed the new funding into law last week.

This funding will pay for more than 300,000 meals statewide, including more than 16,000 meals to seniors in northeast Missouri. Nearly 3,300 of those meals will be served in just the next two months.

The stimulus package provided $100 million for senior nutrition programs nationwide. Missouri's share of this funding will total $1.92 million.

The program help keep seniors active and healthy. Home-delivered meals help enable older individuals to live independently. Group meals add to the quality of life of many seniors by providing social interaction and better nutrition.

"This funding is among the first stimulus package programs actually to reach the people by providing real services and help to those who need it," Donnelly said. "And the program certainly is among the most important."

Last year, the Monroe City senior center oversaw nearly 43,000 meals that were served at senior sites in Monroe City, Perry and Palmyra. Volunteers delivered another 43,000 meals to the homes of elderly and disabled people in Monroe, Marion and Ralls counties.

Volunteers there contributed 14,000 hours of service to visit homebound residents, distribute newsletters and Get Well and Sympathy cards. The center's three sites held 145 health clinics - or more than one every other working day of the year.

Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging Executive Director Glenda Hoffmeister said that when the State of Missouri worked the budget for the programs approximately one million dollars was cut from the funding.

"The stimulus money is making up the difference and we will hopefully be able to come out even," Hoffmeister said.

Without the stimulus funding, the program's budget for the next year will be too low, according to Hoffmeister.