AP Photo/Annie Mulligan
Meals on Wheels delivery driver Debbie Hardison smiles as she delivers a hot meal to Jorge Aranzeta, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Houston.
A Houston organization that delivers food to thousands of clients across the region says it’s losing half a million dollars in federal funding for its Meals on Wheels program, a service that delivers meals to seniors and other homebound people with illnesses or disabilities.
IM Houston, previously known as Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, says some of its funding was unexpectedly withdrawn in October — $300,000 earmarked for its Meals on Wheels program in Harris County and $200,000 for the Galveston County service.
The cuts are impacting more than 300 of the seniors served by IM Houston, putting them at risk of food insecurity, according to Ali Al Sudani, the chief program officer for the nonprofit. It serves a total of 6,000 clients annually.
“It’s not right on all levels,” Sudani said of the funding cuts. “It’s morally not right. It’s ethically not right.”
Sudani said the funding loss is unrelated to the ongoing government shutdown, which is having impacts on other food programs in Texas and across the country. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a letter out to regional directors of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, saying that November benefits would be delayed due to the government shutdown. SNAP helps about 3.5 million Texans, and 42 million people across the U.S., make food purchases.
The USDA has posted a notice on its website saying November SNAP benefits will not be issued because the “well has run dry.”
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With funding shortfalls, food aid organizations like Meals on Wheels are scrambling for solutions and support.
AP Photo/Annie Mulligan
Warehouse Specialist David Callwood grabs cold cartons of milk for Meals on Wheels clients, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Houston.
The Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels program, which serves residents southwest of Houston, is facing similar circumstances to IM Houston. The Fort Bend organization announced Monday that it’s seen a more than 50% reduction in federal funding, which will equate to more than 68,000 lost meals.
With its annual budget essentially cut in half, Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels plans to decrease its deliveries from seven days per week to five days starting in January.
“This was an incredibly tough decision,” Doug Simpson, executive director of Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, said in a statement. “We are doing everything we can to preserve services for all the seniors currently depending on us. Reducing meals from seven to five per week allows us to continue serving everyone while we work to rebuild our funding base.”
IM Houston is “trying to bridge the gap by appealing to the community, foundations and donors,” so it doesn’t have to suspend or cut back on its own deliveries, Sudani said. The organization is contacting officials at all levels of government and encourages its clients and their family members to do the same.
Companies such as H-E-B, the Texas grocery store chain, are answering the call. It recently announced a $5 million donation to food banks in the state, along with $1 million for Meals on Wheels.
Sudani said those who benefit from the Meals on Wheels program are not able to physically go grocery shopping for themselves. In addition to food, the program also provides safety checks and social connections.
“We can’t let this happen to our seniors,” he said. “They deserve better than this.”