Services for older Coloradans, like Meals on Wheels, are running out as COVID aid ends and senior population grows – By Jennifer Brown (Colorado Sun) / Jan 9, 2024
One Adams County meal-delivery program ran out of money halfway through the fiscal year, leaving 550 people in jeopardy of losing services
Jayla Sanchez-Warren had 45 names on her list, all older Coloradans who asked for meals delivered to their homes so they could continue to live on their own.
After a long day on the phone, it was her job to figure out which Adams County residents have no way to get food otherwise and who needs help the most — because there is not enough money to help everyone.
Colorado’s Area Agencies on Aging, with 16 regional offices across the state, are so short on funds this year that waitlists are increasing to thousands of people and programs are at risk of collapsing.
In Adams County, a local nonprofit that uses Area Agency on Aging funds to run a Meals on Wheels program announced at the end of December that it had spent all of its COVID relief dollars and was out of funds. An emergency $50,000 approved by the county commissioners is keeping the program running for a few weeks so the 550 elderly people who depend on the food don’t go hungry.
CONTINUE > https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/09/meals-on-wheels-covid-dollars/
