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Area Agency on Aging recommends 12 contracts from 2026 senior‑millage gap grant pool
Summary
An AAA ad hoc committee recommended awarding $180,000 in senior millage gap funding to 12 applicants to address service gaps for older adults across Kalamazoo County; recommended awards include hearing aids, prescription co‑pay assistance, pest remediation, transportation expansion and memory care scholarships.
The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) presented the recommendations of a senior‑millage allocation ad hoc committee to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 16, recommending contracts to fill service gaps for older adults during calendar year 2026.
Cassie Bailey of AAA told the commission that $180,000 was available in the 2026 gap health‑support solicitation, with a maximum request of $30,000 per applicant; AAA received 12 applications from 11 vendors and recommended funding all 12. The ad hoc committee scored applications and required a 70‑point threshold for consideration; all applications met the threshold. For returning organizations, the committee reviewed past performance, fiscal accountability and contract compliance.
Recommended awards included:
• Comstock Community Center — $20,500 for dementia day‑center scholarships; • Deaf, Inc. — $23,000 for hearing aids; • Elders Helpers — $8,000 for personal emergency response buttons; • Guardian Finance & Advocacy — $15,000 for guardianship services and $10,000 for money‑management counseling; • Lending Hands of Michigan — $7,000 for bath and shower equipment; • Medical Peer Alert — $15,000 for monitored emergency response buttons; • Milestone Senior Services — $15,000 for pest remediation and hoarding intervention; • MRC Industries — $7,500 to start an adult‑day program for older adults with disabilities; • Shepherd Center of America — award to expand wheelchair‑capable transportation, including VA trips to Battle Creek; • Tandon’s Advanced Pharmacy — $24,000 for prescription copay assistance; • 12 Baskets food pantry (first‑time applicant) — award to build referral and delivery capacity for older adults.
Bailey said the committee placed priority on alignment with AAA’s mission, the potential for community impact, addressing critical service gaps, serving underserved populations and ensuring reasonable, outcome‑focused budgets. She noted that some budget components in a few proposals were not funded but the committee recommended funding the core direct services.
Why it matters: The proposed awards target unmet needs that AAA said prevent older adults from remaining safely in their homes — from hearing assistance and medication affordability to pest remediation, transportation and adult‑day programming.
What’s next: The ad hoc committee recommended that the board approve the awards so contracts can start Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioners expressed support for the committee’s process and recommended awards; the board did not hold a final contract vote at the Sept. 16 meeting.
