Funding that helped to provide over 80 thousand meals for seniors in Klamath County last year is continuing to drop…and even bigger cuts are on the horizon.
Paul Shipman says his 3 dollar daily meal at the Senior Center means a lot to him…
“I think for people our age, it’s so important – not only for the nutritional value, but the social value.”
Colette Fleck of the Senior Citizen’s Council adds that for home-bound seniors relying on ‘Meals on Wheels’, that daily contact is even more important…
“Not only is it the fact that meals are delivered, but our volunteers have the ability to check on seniors, see if they’re okay.”
Klamath Basin Senior Center Executive Director Marc Kane notes that the senior meals are funded through a mix of federal, state, local, and private funding…
“I think all of our funding sources are expected to decrease in this next year.”
“The figure I’ve heard on some of the programs is about 17%.” Adds Colette Fleck. “On just the state level.”
Klamath County’s funding was 60 thousand dollars in 2010 – and was dropped to 35 thousand last year.
Kane notes that as budgets tighten, the Senior Center may have to cut hours, or services…
“That means, people will go without meals.”
And also put a serious crimp in Paul Shipman’s social life…
“It would be a lot of cabin fever going on around Klamath Falls if we didn’t have this Center.”
The Senior Center is scheduled to go before the Klamath County Budget Committee on April 12th.
Executive Director Marc Kane says the Senior Center provides about 1500 meals a week. About 135 meals are delivered daily to homes through the ‘Meals on Wheels’ program.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.