Pinellas non-profit helping seniors worried about funding cuts

New program addresses senior hunger

The Neighborly Senior Care Networks runs 11 cafes in Pinellas County and serves 3100 people annually, but potential federal grant cuts have the nonprofit thinking outside of the box to help feed hungry seniors. FOX 13’s Kailey Tracy reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Neighborly Senior Care Network, a non-profit in Pinellas County that addresses senior hunger, serves 3,100 people annually. More than 500 people are on its Meals on Wheels waitlist.

The non-profit, though, is worried it may not be able to help as many people with federal grant cuts looming.

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The backstory:

"The federal government hasn't reauthorized the Older Americans Act yet fully," Anita Frankhauser, nutrition director for Neighborly Senior Care Network, said. "We don't know what our budgets are going to look like after next year. So, there's still a lot of uncertainty. With all the cuts to other programs that support seniors, I think it would just make it even worse for our area."

Unfortunately, she said, the number of people they serve and the length of the waitlist is common across the state. The Older Americans Act funds about 70% of the non-profit, so Frankhauser said they’re trying to be proactive if those cuts come.

"We know that people want the food. They need the food. They want socialization. They want to feel connected to others. And so, that's why I know that we're doing really, putting a lot of good into the community," she said.

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Big picture view:

They’ve expanded their pay program within the Meals on Wheels program, offering more meal options at $8.50 per meal if clients don’t want to be on the waitlist. The meals are still delivered to the seniors’ homes.

"We're really trying to kind of think more like a for-profit business in terms of generating revenue to put back into the funded meals," she said.

Dig deeper:

About 100 clients have signed up so far. Frankhauser said they also offer one-on-one nutrition counseling and other dietitian services to the community to raise money to sustain the nonprofit.

"I think that it's going to take a whole community to solve senior hunger and to make sure that our elders are cared for," she said.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy.

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