The Orange County Human Services Committee voted July 1 to accept a $5,000 grant for the county’s Welcome Orange Geriatric Initiative and approved an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Chester to add a congregate dining site, and the committee authorized creation of one federally funded part‑time courier position to support home‑delivered meals.

Why it matters: The actions aim to expand nutrition and outreach services for older adults across the county, add a new congregate dining location in Chester, and improve delivery capacity for home‑delivered meals as demand grows.

Grant and program details
Danielle Diana Smith, director of the Office for the Aging, told the committee the $5,000 award comes from the New York State Office of Mental Health to support the Welcome Orange Geriatric Initiative (WOGI), a partnership of aging, mental‑health and substance‑use providers. Smith said the money will be used for materials and outreach — for example, printed materials and program supplies — rather than for a staffing increase. The committee approved acceptance of the funds by voice vote.

New congregate dining site in Chester
The committee also approved an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Chester for a new congregate dining site at the Chester Senior Center. The agreement’s effective term was given in the meeting as Oct. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025, and the Office for the Aging said the Chester site will begin with one day a week (Mondays) and may expand to additional days if demand grows. Smith said municipalities express varying interest and capacity; the county provides funding and program support, but local partners must provide space and operational infrastructure.

Courier position and home‑delivered meals
To support expansion of home‑delivered meals and new congregate sites, the committee approved creation of a part‑time Grade 5 courier position, which Smith said will be federally funded. Smith said the county currently delivers about 67 home‑delivered meal routes and that demand is growing; the new courier is intended to expand delivery capacity.

Program operations and volunteer needs
Smith, who became director on Feb. 1, described staffing challenges and volunteer shortages since the COVID‑19 pandemic. She said the office now has about 350 volunteers (down from about 500 before the pandemic) and asks municipalities and community groups to help recruit. The Office for the Aging also reported ongoing programs including New York Connects call intake (about 5,800 calls since January across referrals for in‑home services, housing, utilities and transportation), RSVP volunteer placements with 32 memoranda of understanding, health‑promotion classes (Tai Chi, A Matter of Balance) and a small food pantry used to supplement delivered meals.

Farmers market coupons and transportation pilot
Smith explained the farmers market coupon program: Orange County received 3,000 coupons from the state; each coupon booklet contains five $5 coupons (a $25 value) and distribution is income‑qualified and first‑come, first‑served. She noted counties have limited coupon supplies from the state and that not every farmer’s market accepts the coupons. Smith also said the office is pursuing a GoGo Grandparent pilot — a subsidized ride program using Lyft and Uber — that would provide up to three free round trips for qualifying clients if awarded state funding.

Votes and next steps
Committee members approved the grant acceptance, the intermunicipal agreement for Chester and the part‑time courier position by voice vote. Smith asked for help recruiting volunteers and said she would update the committee as the GoGo Grandparent funding decision and other program changes arrive.

Limitations
Program descriptions and effective dates for the Chester agreement and the courier position were provided during the meeting; budgetary specifics for the new intermunicipal agreement (municipal contribution amounts, county share) were not detailed in the presentation on the record.