WINNSBORO – Forty-five of Fairfield County’s most vulnerable seniors were facing the loss of their daily Meals on Wheels deliveries until Fairfield County Council stepped in with emergency funding.
Following an appeal from Fairfield County Council on Aging Executive Director Angi Brewer, County Council voted later in the meeting to provide the organization with $50,000 to help offset an unexpected funding shortfall that threatened the county’s home-delivered meals program.
Brewer told council the agency learned June 1, the beginning of its new fiscal year, that funding from its largest Meals on Wheels contract had been significantly reduced. The funding reduction stems from a combination of federal and state funding cuts, ongoing uncertainty in government funding, state budget issues, and population shifts reflected in recent census data.
“The majority of our Meals on Wheels funding is through contracts,” Brewer said. “Our contractor releases funding to us in six-month increments. In the last funding cycle, we received funding to serve 180 clients. But in June, that number was reduced, and it allows us to only serve 140.”
The Council on Aging has relied on grant funding to temporarily make up the difference, Brewer said, but those grants are nearly exhausted.
“The grants are running out, and we’re faced with the difficult decision of cutting clients from the roster,” she said.
According to Brewer, continuing to provide meals for those clients would cost between $11,000 and $12,000 each month—an expense the agency cannot sustain without additional funding.
As a result, letters were sent last week notifying 45 homebound seniors that their meal deliveries would end July 31.
“So some of these clients who only get one meal a day or only one visit from somebody a day, will not see someone,” Brewer told council. “This was a heartbreaking decision, and it was not one that we wanted to make, and it was not one we took lightly. But we had no other options.”
She asked county council to help bridge the funding gap so meal deliveries could continue.
The organization said it had carefully reviewed every possible option to reduce the impact on seniors before deciding it could no longer continue serving all of its home-delivered meal recipients.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions our organization has ever had to make,” the statement said.
The agency emphasized that each meal represents much more than food.
“Every meal we deliver represents more than nutrition—it is a wellness check, a friendly face, and a vital connection for seniors who often have nowhere else to turn.”
The statement also noted that rising costs for food, fuel and operations have continued to increase while available funding has declined.
Following Brewer’s presentation, Fairfield County Council approved an emergency allocation of $50,000 to help the FCCOA continue providing meals while longer-term funding solutions are pursued.
Brewer thanked council for responding to the request and said the agency remains committed to serving Fairfield County’s senior citizens.
“Our commitment to Fairfield County’s seniors has not changed,” the Council on Aging said in its statement. “We remain dedicated to providing essential services, advocating for those we serve, and working tirelessly to secure the resources needed to continue our mission.”
The organization is also encouraging community support through donations, volunteers and advocacy.
“If you have ever wondered whether your support makes a difference,” -Brewer wrote in a public statement, “the answer is yes—now more than ever. Every donation, every volunteer, and every advocate helps us provide meals, companionship, and hope to our neighbors. Together, we can help ensure that no senior in Fairfield County goes without the care, food, and support they deserve.”