Bria, executive director of Actions Inc. of Brazoria County, told Manvel city leaders on Jan. 6 that the nonprofit provides nutrition, transportation and social programs countywide and is already serving dozens of Manvel residents while 11 people from the city remain on a waiting list for homebound meals.

That waiting list and growing demand for transportation and social activities underpinned the presentation to the Manvel City Council, which discussed potential partnerships such as a local congregate center and volunteer-based transportation to council meetings and other appointments.

Actions Inc. started in 1974 after the Older Americans Act and now runs home-delivered meals, congregate centers and a telephone-reassurance program, Bria said. “We are more than a meal,” she told council members, noting the organization also provides medical equipment, seasonal heaters and fans, a pet-food program and an annual Christmas “angel tree” that delivered gifts to dozens of homebound seniors this year.

For Manvel specifically, Bria reported the program delivered just over 2,200 home-delivered meals in the past fiscal year and logged 16 transportation trips for local residents. She said 21 Manvel residents travel to Pearland’s Knapp Center for congregate services and five travel to the Alvin Senior Center; in total Actions Inc. served 69 unduplicated seniors in one or more programs and has 11 Manvel addresses on the waiting list for homebound meals.

Council members pressed for practical next steps. Bria said the limiting factor for expanding homebound service to those 11 people is funding rather than volunteers: “Per week is Forever. Well it's about a hundred dollars will feed a senior for a month,” she said in response to a council question about the per-person cost. She offered to calculate the annual cost to cover Manvel’s waiting list and to provide council with a local cost estimate before leaving the meeting.

Council members and staff discussed possible short-term alternatives, including establishing a nearby congregate center (which has no waiting list) and arranging volunteer drivers to shuttle residents to a center or municipal meetings. Mayor Dan Davis said he had begun preliminary conversations with local pastors about using church space as a congregate meeting site and asked Bria to keep council updated on a more formal plan during 2025.

Bria also described other program details relevant to Manvel planning: Actions’ state reimbursement for meals is $6.46 while the provider’s average turnkey cost per meal (driver, food, fuel and overhead) runs between $9 and $11; the organization is fundraising to cover the difference. She said some funding streams have increased (Older Americans Act), but demand is rising and a daily intake adds names to the waiting list.

Council members asked about opportunities for one-time or sustained municipal support. Bria said Actions had once received a one-time community donation that helped short-term but did not eliminate the waiting list, and she said the organization is open to exploring partnerships, grant applications (including eligibility for Texas Veterans Commission funds) and volunteer recruitment.

Mayor and council members encouraged follow-up: staff and council will compile potential local partners and funding ideas (rotary/district grants, Houston Food Bank grocery box distribution, church facilities) and coordinate with Actions Inc. on cost estimates and a pilot congregate site or volunteer transportation program.

The presentation concluded without a formal vote; council asked staff and Bria to return with more precise cost and participation data if the city pursues a formal partnership or a local congregate center.

Ending: Bria left contact information with the mayor and said Actions Inc. would provide the slide deck and requested numbers to help the council assess potential local support and next steps.