Wayne County approves amended Senior Alliance contract and funding for veteran meals

Wayne County commissioners voted to approve Amendment 4 to a three-year agreement with the Senior Alliance to continue congregate, home-delivered, liquid and halal meals for eligible senior citizens in 34 communities in Western Wayne County and the Downriver area, and to provide county funding to the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) to serve veterans who otherwise would be placed on a DAAA waiting list.

The votes came during the commission’s regular meeting when the items were considered together. Commissioner Daub moved to approve the two items; Commissioner Garza seconded the motion, and the chair announced the motion carried.

The action continues funding for the local Meals on Wheels program. William Chuck Jackson, department director for senior services, told commissioners that most program funding comes through the Senior Alliance but that the alliance’s dollars “do not cover the full service number of meals that we actually provide each year.” Jackson said the county supplements the program; he estimated the county contribution last year was approximately $1.3 million.

Jackson said the county currently has no waiting list for the senior meals program, and he credited the county’s supplemental funding for preventing a backlog. “Fortunately, we’ve not had a waiting list because the county has been willing to help support or supplement the funding for the program,” Jackson said. He also told commissioners volunteer recruitment remains uneven across the service area: some neighborhoods have an abundance of volunteers while others “we continually struggle” to staff.

On the separate but related item, Jackson said funding to the Detroit Area Agency on Aging will be used to serve veterans in DAAA’s service area who are currently on a waiting list. “DAAA does have a waiting list of approximately 200 a day within their program. And so this funding allows those veterans to not have to be placed on that waiting list and be able to be served meals that are eligible,” Jackson said.

Nut Graf: The approvals extend locally administered meal services relied on by seniors and veterans. County supplementing Senior Alliance funding prevents a waiting list for senior meal clients, and the additional funding for DAAA aims to reduce a sizable daily waiting list for veterans.

Commission discussion focused on program capacity and support. Commissioner Killeen asked whether a waiting list exists; Jackson answered there is not one for the county-run Meals on Wheels program. Commissioners did not ask for further changes to the contract terms during the meeting.

Ending: The two items were approved without recorded roll-call tallies in the meeting transcript. No future votes on these specific contracts were scheduled on the record at the meeting.