Allegany County seeks four Meals on Wheels drivers as nutrition demand rises

The Allegany County Human Services Committee voted to authorize hiring four Meals on Wheels drivers as the county reported rising demand for senior nutrition services and insurance counseling.

Anita Madison, who introduced the monthly report to the committee, told members that the nutrition program’s home-delivered meals rose to 8,128 in March from 7,083 the prior month, and that congregate meals increased to 966 from 808. She also reported growth in the county’s insurance-counseling work: “This is for March — 411 contacts versus the same time last year at 238,” Madison said.

The staffing request is to fill four Meals on Wheels driver positions. Madison told the committee the program currently stretches staff to cover routes when drivers are unavailable and that the county typically hires substitute drivers and then promotes within to regular part-time routes. Committee members approved the request on a voice vote.

Committee Chair Jan Bert pressed Madison on whether the rise in delivered meals reflected a longer-term trend or a short-term change. Madison said the county has seen more “snowbirds” returning early or not traveling this season, which has increased demand for home-delivered meals: “We have seen an increase in those,” she said.

Member Mr. Healy followed up about the scale of the “snowbird” effect; Madison said she did not have an exact count “right off the top of my head,” but explained many older residents return from seasonal travel and resume home-delivered meals or stay temporarily with family, which boosts counts.

Madison also gave the committee a breakdown of funding for the positions: 20% county, 38% state, 18% federal and 24% program contributions (vouchers and donations). She described the hires as part-time positions (about four hours a day) that typically begin as substitute assignments before being placed on regular routes.

Committee members asked practical questions about recruiting and whether the county would offer substitutes; Madison confirmed the standard practice of hiring substitutes and promoting internally. After brief discussion, a motion to approve the request passed.

The committee heard related program updates in the same report: the “going dine” voucher program provided 296 meals in March (up from 224 the prior month and 244 the same month last year), and home-delivered and congregate meals both increased. Madison said the county continues to see higher demand for nutrition services even outside federal open-enrollment periods for insurance counseling.

The committee did not set a recruitment timeline in public remarks; Madison said staff would proceed with filling the positions. The committee did not adopt additional policy changes for the nutrition program at the meeting.