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Area 4 Senior Nutrition requests $6,000 from Mobridge after state cuts, warns of tighter meal eligibility
Summary
Marla Keys, representing Area 4 Senior Nutrition, told the Mobridge City Council the nonprofit needs $6,000 from the city after a $250,000 state funding cut and said stricter eligibility could reduce home-delivered meals to vulnerable residents.
MOBRIDGE, S.D. — Marla Keys, a representative of Area 4 Senior Nutrition, asked the Mobridge City Council on Aug. 13 for $6,000 to help the nonprofit meet a required 10% cash match after she said the state cut roughly $250,000 from the program’s budget.
Area 4, which Keys said operates from a corporate office in Aberdeen and serves about 21,200 meals annually across roughly two dozen communities, provides both congregate and home-delivered meals. Keys told the council the program’s budget is about $3.2 million and that about 85% of its grant funding is federal with 15% state. “This year, we had the unfortunate information received 3 weeks ago that they are cutting a quarter of a million dollars from our budget,” Keys said.
Keys said Mobridge receives 25–40 congregate meals daily at the senior center and 30–40 home-delivered meals per day, and that the program’s meals are dietitian-approved to meet one-third of daily nutrition standards. She said the program’s suggested donation is $5 but that the city’s average donation recently was $2.19 per meal, leaving a shortfall when federal/state match and operating costs are considered.
Area 4 told the council it had planned to contribute $1,875 toward the city-requested match but is asking the city to increase its contribution to $6,000 to cover the shortfall following the state reduction. Keys said the agency has asked the state Department of Human Services for details on the cut and that any restored funding would not likely occur under the current administration, according to the agency’s response.
Why it matters: The request affects older residents who receive meals for nutrition and socialization. Area 4 warned that the state cut could tighten eligibility rules for home-delivered meals, which would reduce service to homebound residents unless local support fills the funding gap.
Council discussion: Councilmembers asked about prior city contributions and prospects for restored state funding. Staff and council members said the request will be considered during the city’s budgeting process.
Outcome: This was a funding request; the council did not vote on an appropriation at the Aug. 13 meeting.
