Sequestration trickles down to Interfaith Neighbors program
Budget cuts lead to Meals on Wheels waiting list
The legislative budgetary cuts known as sequestration has the Asbury Park-based Interfaith Neighbors saying no to those in need of its Meal on Wheels program.
“For the first time, we have a waiting list of over 120 people,” Interfaith Neighbors’ Nutrition Director Sandi Silber said. “We have 21 people over 90 years old on that list. We are caught between the devil and the deep blue (sea).”
Close to 90 percent of the Meals on Wheels $2 million budget is supported by federal funds, with a small portion allocated through state and county allotments. But last year’s 30 percent budget cuts meant 120 people are going without the daily meal delivery, Silber said.
This, she said, could translate into a domino effect since the annual budget is based on the prior year’s figures.
“If the funding is not restored we will have to start cutting back more meals,” Silber said. “This year’s budget affects funding from the [federal government] next year, so it’s a Catch 22.”
While federal funding will remain the same, the state and county financing could be reduced, Silber said.
“If this keeps going the way it’s going there are people in this county that will end up in nursing homes,” Silber said. “It costs us $6,000 a year to keep a person on Meals on Wheels, how much does it cost per day to keep a person in a nursing home.”
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., [shown above] joined volunteer Brandan Terry on his route delivering meals to homebound residents over 60 years old. The visit was to help bring awareness during the 13th annual March for Meals fundraising campaign.
“Meals on Wheels addresses the very serious issue of hunger in our communities, providing not only food, but also companionship and enabling seniors to live independently in their homes,” Pallone said in a written statement. “I applaud all the volunteers who dedicate their efforts to ensuring that the seniors in our community have this critical lifeline available to them.”
The Interfaith Neighbor’s Meals on Wheels program serves over 3,500 Monmouth County residents. Over 600 volunteers help pack and deliver the meals without any reimbursement cost for supplies or gas, Silber said.
“Without them we couldn’t function,” she said.
Interfaith Neighbors is located at 810, Fourth Avenue, Asbury Park, 07712. For more information or to make a donation to the program, visit their web site.
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