Boston committee reviews $2.56 million state grant for elder nutrition as federal funding falls

Erin Murphy, At-Large City Councilor and chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Strong Women, Families, and Communities, opened a March 10 hearing on docket 0393 about a proposed FY25 state grant of $2,563,236.28 to support the City’s elder nutrition program administered by the Age Strong Commission.

The grant, described as the FY25 State Elder Lunch Program award from the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, is one of three funding streams that support the city’s Meals on Wheels and congregate meal services. "This grant is state funding that comes to us," Melissa Carlson, senior director of programs and partnerships at the Age Strong Commission, said. Carlson explained the commission combines that state grant with federal funds and $300,000 in city funding to operate the program.

Why it matters: Boston’s elder nutrition program serves older adults through home-delivered meals and 44 congregate sites across the city, and program leaders warned that recent and anticipated federal funding cuts could strain the service. Committee members said they would press for full funding in the upcoming city budget if federal support declines.

Program structure and partners

Carlson said the Age Strong Commission administers three funding sources to the local program: the state grant under review, federal Older Americans Act Title III funding, and the Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). She told the committee the commission’s funds are combined with other direct funding to local providers and that the commission’s contribution makes up about one-third of the overall program budget.

The commission’s nutrition manager, Maeve (Mae) Forbes, who joined within the past year, and Carlson described five program components: home-delivered meals, congregate meals, nutrition education, nutrition assessment and counseling, and culturally appropriate meal options. Carlson said there are 11 meal types available to meet cultural and dietary needs, and that the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center cooks and delivers its own meals and operates three congregate sites, including a site in Brighton and two in Chinatown.

Delivery partners include Ethos, which contracts with Spinelli’s, City Fresh Foods and Emily’s Food Service, and also performs some delivery itself. "It's like one big puzzle of elder nutrition," Carlson said.

Funding uncertainty and program responses

Carlson told the committee the program experienced an overall decrease of about $880,000 in the last fiscal year. She said the City is still awaiting federal contracts for the NSIP and is unclear about upcoming Older Americans Act funding. "We're waiting on our federal contracts," Carlson said. "We know that that's gonna be a decrease. And, we're unclear about Older Americans Act funding."

Committee members pressed about contingency planning. Carlson described statewide efforts led by the Executive Office of Aging and Independence to manage intake and eligibility to reduce waste and better target limited resources. "They're changing the way that they're allowing new people to come in, and they're changing the way that they're thinking about eligibility," she said, adding that the work is ongoing and includes in-home service reviews.

Local budget and next steps

Councilors at the hearing said they would advocate for continued city funding during the budget process. "If we're going to have to make hard decisions, we're obviously going to make sure we're fully funding this program that a lot of seniors rely on for their nutrition," Murphy said. Committee co-chair Councilor Braden echoed the need to support the program and thanked Age Strong staff for their work.

No committee vote was recorded at the hearing. The matter remains under committee consideration following the March 10 hearing; committee members noted they expect further budget discussions before any final action.

Ending

The hearing on docket 0393 was adjourned by Murphy. Committee members said they would pursue additional information on federal contract awards and expect Age Strong staff to return with details during the upcoming budget review.