You might have heard that the new administration plans to cut funding to Meals on Wheels and the school lunch programs. Some Meals on Wheels programs would be decreased and some would lose total funding. Depends on the state. Mick Mulvaney said the programs have not proven to be of benefit and it is a compassionate move for taxpayers. Meanwhile, a 54 billion increase to the military budget. If you care about Meals on Wheels better call or write to your congressman.
Unfortunately that's mostly headline hype. The reality is the proposed budget cuts eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program which has failed to show results. About 3% of the national meals on wheels budget comes from CDBG. Meals on Wheels explained in a clarifying statement that their 5,000 local, community-based programs receive 35% of their total funding from the federal government through the Older Americans Act, and that some local chapters also receive some funding from the Community Development Block Grant. However, the budget plan also proposes a nearly 18% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which funds the Older Americans Act. So yeah, contact your representatives, but seems to me going after the cuts to HHS would be more effective.
One thing they fund is the Long Term Care Ombudsman program. Would not be good to eliminate that. Here's a page I found on other items in the Older Americans Act.
