Commissioners accept ARPA funds for senior services, authorize wheelchair lift and meal supports

Craven County Commissioners on Feb. 17 approved a budget amendment to accept American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded through the Eastern Carolina Council on Aging to support expanded senior services.

Jeff Merrick, presenting the item for social services, said the award will fund a wheelchair lift to help non-ambulatory residents access performance areas, expand senior programming, supply grocery carts for congregate sites, fund weekend meal deliveries, replace technology used in health-promotion classes and provide shelf-stable emergency meals. "Some of these things we would have to budget with some of our county dollars," Merrick said, "so we were able to try to utilize these funds in order to not use those."

Commissioners questioned operational details. One commissioner noted the Meals on Wheels route in Havelock currently has a single driver and asked whether the program delivers hot meals daily; Merrick said hot deliveries depend on volunteer availability and that the program uses shelf-stable meals during weather events or emergencies. Commissioners asked about volunteer recruitment; Merrick and others described outreach efforts relying primarily on word-of-mouth and community events and said staff will follow up with additional recruitment strategies and information about volunteer incentives such as small gift cards.

A motion to approve the ARPA-funded budget amendment passed on a roll-call vote. Commissioners asked staff to report back on volunteer recruitment strategies and route capacities.