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Huron Senior Center reports Meals on Wheels changes, asks residents to return new forms
Summary
Megan Hoville, director of the Huron Senior Center, told the commission federal and state funding changes require updated forms and limit state reimbursement to weekday meals; weekend meals now cost $5 and may rise to full cost if funding decreases.
Megan Hoville, director of the Huron Senior Center, gave the commission a semiannual update on July 7 and outlined recent changes to the center’s nutrition program that followed state reimbursement rules and federal requirements.
Hoville said the state of South Dakota now reimburses only meals served Monday through Friday and that every participant must complete a demographic and nutrition screen form (described in the meeting as a “NAPS”/“NAPAS” form) required under the Older Americans Act. Hoville told commissioners the center set a June 4 deadline and that participants who did not return the form or request assistance no longer receive delivered meals.
“We had to send out notices,” Hoville said. She said staff have been making individual calls and sometimes going to participants’ homes to help complete forms. Hoville said the center’s Meals on Wheels coordinator, Brittney Piper, “has been working really, really hard to reach out to these people.”
Hoville told the commission the center has temporarily set weekend meals at $5 (about half the full cost, which she said is $7.50) and that the fee might rise to full cost depending on funding. She estimated “about 75 to 80 individuals” were affected and said the center prepares roughly 300 meals a day across sites; Hoville said some people who formerly received two meals a day have had service reduced.
The center is moving to electronic data collection with a card patrons can scan at any nutrition site in South Dakota, Hoville said; that will require Wi‑Fi at smaller satellite sites, which could create additional costs for equipment. The center also reported building maintenance needs for apartment heating and cooling and plans to pursue grants for mini-split installations.
Commissioners thanked staff and noted the senior-center staff’s outreach. No formal commission action was required for the report. Hoville promoted upcoming events including a July 17 nighttime bingo fundraiser and said the center is exploring renaming its seniors’ fishing event to attract people age 50 and older.
