Cuts coming to state program for senior home-delivered meals

Regional officials have been notified that as of October, funding will be reduced for home delivered meals through senior citizens centers across Kentucky

During his Team Kentucky update Thursday, Governor Beshear said "all belts had to be tightened" at least until the Kentucky General Assembly comes into session for the biennium budget.

He said a bulk of funding for the program was boosted by ARPA funds during the COVID pandemic. Since then, the program's funding request has more than doubled, but those ARPA funds are no longer available.

This includes the nine-county Pennyrile region, which is the state’s second-most dependent of the critical needs service.

WKDZ reported that officials with the Pennyrile Area Development District and the Pennyrile Allied Community Services jointly announced and confirmed a “significant reduction” in state funding will force immediate changes to the region’s Senior Home Delivered Meals program.

They said the Pennyrile alone faces a shortfall of nearly $1.5 million for the program’s existence.

Currently more than 750 seniors in nine counties receive home-delivered meals five days a week, and more than 110 were still on a waiting list in Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Todd and Trigg counties.

Under the new funding reduction, the number served could fall below 300 clients — a more than 50% cut.