Lavaca County trims Meals on Wheels and transit service as regional funding changes; applies for state grant

Lavaca County’s Commissioners on Sept. 23 heard an update and approved several actions after the county’s transit and senior nutrition program (Meals on Wheels) faced reduced regional funding.

Becky Yonock, program manager for Community Connections of Lavaca County, told the court that the regional entity Golden Crescent cut reimbursement levels from near‑100% during COVID to lower rates. For example, Yonock said nutrition reimbursements fell from about $240,000 in earlier years to roughly $92,000 in the most recent fiscal year, forcing program changes.

Program changes and budget response: Commissioners approved temporary service reductions: transit hours were shortened from 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on weekdays; the senior nutrition program cut desserts and reduced congregate/meal delivery to three days a week (Tuesday–Thursday) to save about $500 per week. Yonock said the county uses the senior center (a county‑owned building) to capture in‑kind match for grant purposes and that the county has already budgeted some matching funds.

Grants and county support: The court approved a resolution authorizing application for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Home‑Delivered Meals (Texans Feeding Texans) grant for program year 2026, and separately approved a $1,534.50 county cash match disbursement for the 2025 grant (a disbursement tied to the prior year’s resolution). Commissioners approved both grant actions by voice vote after motions from Precinct 1 and Precinct 2.

Why it matters: Officials said continuing the programs will require ongoing county support and regional coordination; Yonock warned services will remain limited until regional reimbursement levels stabilize. She said she would continue applying for grants and return to the court if additional county funds are required.