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Fairfield County proclaims March 2025 senior nutrition month; Meals on Wheels leaders warn of funding squeeze
Summary
Fairfield County Council issued a proclamation recognizing senior nutrition programs and Meals on Wheels; the Fairfield County Council on Aging said it serves about 220 homebound seniors and warned federal funding uncertainty and rising costs could lead to waiting lists.
Fairfield County Council issued a proclamation designating March 2025 as a month to celebrate senior nutrition programs and to recognize the local Meals on Wheels and “End the Wait” campaign.
The proclamation, read by a county official, cited the federal Older Americans Act and singled out Meals on Wheels programs for providing congregate and home-delivered meals that help seniors maintain health and independence.
Why it matters: The Fairfield County Council on Aging told the council that federal and state funding uncertainty and rising costs are putting local senior meal programs at risk and that waiting lists, once rare locally, are becoming more likely.
What the council heard: Angie Connor Brewer, executive director of the Fairfield County Council on Aging, told the council the organization provides Meals on Wheels to about 220 senior clients countywide and serves roughly 60 additional seniors at its senior center programs.
“Your support along with that of the community are what keeps our programs going in good times and in bad,” Brewer said. She told council that about 70% of the Council on Aging’s funding comes from federal and state sources and that national funding uncertainty could affect services locally.
Brewer warned waiting lists are becoming more widespread and said, “We have been fortunate over the years to not have a waiting list in place for a meal. We took great pride that we could provide a meal to someone in need within a couple of days of their request, so the seniors didn't have to wait. But those days are coming to an end.”
Community response and donations: A council member reported a recent local fundraising effort that raised roughly $30,575 from individual and corporate donors to support weekend meal programs for homebound seniors; the council member said that sum preserved weekend food deliveries for about 70 seniors.
Ending: Council chairman Clarence Gilbert read the proclamation declaring March 2025 a month to honor senior nutrition programs, calling on citizens to support local volunteer programs and funding sources that sustain services.
