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Board approves ARPA-funded home and community care block grant budget amendment for senior services
Summary
Craven County voted to accept ARPA-funded Home and Community Care Block Grant awards to buy accessibility equipment, increase nonrecurring senior services and provide weekend meals and shelf-stable emergency meals; staff to follow up on volunteer recruitment for Meals on Wheels routes.
The Craven County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 approved a budget amendment to accept American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds administered through regional aging partners to expand senior services under the Home and Community Care Block Grant.
County social services staff said the award will be used for a mix of nonrecurring services and equipment, including a wheelchair lift to assist non-ambulatory participants, grocery carts for congregate meal sites, weekend meal deliveries, replacement technology for health-promotion classes, and stockpiles of shelf-stable emergency meals. The staff presentation described these as items the county would otherwise have to budget from county dollars; the exact award amount shown in the packet was not stated aloud during the meeting.
Mr. Merrick, presenting for social services, said the wheelchair lift is being treated as a capital outlay item; commissioners asked whether that portion was the $39,000 referenced in the packet. Merrick confirmed the lift would be in the capital outlay line. Commissioners pressed for operational details about Meals on Wheels routes: current volunteer shortages constrain hot-meal delivery on some routes. Merrick said the program operates with limited volunteers and that hot meals are constrained by volunteer availability; the program uses a volunteer coordinator and staff outreach to recruit, and staff will follow up with more details on recruitment and current route coverage.
Commissioners suggested broader recruitment efforts — including social media, town-hall visits and outreach through churches and community groups — to increase volunteer numbers. The board approved the budget amendment by roll call without recorded dissents.
No vendor or procurement contract was identified for the wheelchair lift during the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to return with more detail on volunteer recruitment plans, route coverage and specifics of the award amount and budget lines.
