Two initiatives to meet the needs of at-risk Arlington seniors are facing troubled times.
An end to Covid-era funding is hitting operations of the nonprofit Meals on Wheels program hard, while there remains a backlogged waiting list for those wanting to be a part of the Arlington Department of Human Services’ Adult Day program.
The challenges facing both were outlined at the Dec. 16 meeting of the Arlington Commission on Aging.
Meals on Wheels Facing Funding Issues
Arlington’s Meals on Wheels program, run by an all-volunteer non-profit organization since 1971, is facing a decline in funding as Covid-era grant programs expire.
“The federal and state funding … is not going to be enough to cover the program in the coming months,” said Helen King, executive director of the Arlington Area Agency on Aging.
“This is a vital program that supports about 200 homebound older adults,” King told members of the Commission on Aging.
Pandemic-era funding streams helped the organization bring in about $224,000 in revenue and increase its net assets to about $300,000 in fiscal 2023, the latest for which tax-filing figures are publicly available.
The preceding two fiscal years had seen expenses exceed revenues and assets sold to account for a drop-off in fundraising efforts in the pandemic era.
The organization contracts with a commercial kitchen to prepare five lunches and five dinners per week for clients. They are delivered, along with beverages, by a corps of 250 volunteer drivers each Wednesday.
Participants are charged $58 a week to cover the cost of the food, but those with limited incomes receive discounts.
Leadership of the organization is working to address the need for more funding, King told Commission on Aging members.
“The Meals on Wheels of Arlington team has greatly increased their fund-raising and their advocacy efforts,” she said. “We’ll share information as we learn it.”
Arlington’s Meals on Wheels program is one of about 5,000 community-based organizations under the umbrella of Meals on Wheels America. That organization is based in Crystal City.
Adult Day Program Waitlist Continues
A waitlist remains for those attempting to participate in the Arlington Department of Human Services’ Adult Day program.
The program “is such a support” both for participants themselves and their caregivers, said Rachel Coates of the Department of Human Services.
Coates was briefing members of the Commission on Aging.
While many participants are seniors, the program is open to any adult Arlington resident who meets eligibility criteria. To be accepted, one must have memory loss, be physically impaired or frail, or be in need of personal-care assistance.
Programming includes physical- and mental-stimulation activities, therapeutic recreation, social activities, health-care monitoring and nutritious lunches and snacks.
The program runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants can attend between two and five sessions per week. Approximately 20 to 25 individuals typically participate on a given day.
Individuals on the waiting list and those in their support network are offered programs and other resources until a spot becomes available, Coates said.
At the Commission on Aging meeting, Jim Baker of the Department of Human Services said advocates for the program and other social-safety-net initiatives should voice their opinions in coming months, as county leaders consider funding priorities for the fiscal 2026 budget.
“Give your public feedback,” Baker suggested.
Photo via Ryan Reinoso/Unsplash
