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Simi Valley council preserves current senior meal service and asks staff to pursue grants, fundraising
Summary
After a staff briefing showing a projected food-cost shortfall, the council voted unanimously to maintain the city's current senior nutrition service level (235 meals per day) and directed staff to pursue CDBG funding and coordinate a fundraising campaign with the Council on Aging.
The Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously March 10 to preserve the city’s current senior nutrition services while directing staff to pursue grant and fundraising options to close an estimated funding gap.
Community Services staff told the council the senior nutrition program — which provides both Meals on Wheels home deliveries and congregate lunches at the Simi Valley Senior Center — faced a substantial cut in county food funds. Kimberly Post, Community Services Manager, said the Ventura County Human Services Agency (VCHSA) allocation for food had previously required the city to reduce meal service levels from 71,824 meals in fiscal year 2023–24 to 29,083 in the current grant year. Staff reported the city had already used cost-saving measures and one-time funds to reduce the projected shortfall from about $384,666 to $267,000.
Post told the council VCHSA later indicated the allocation for fiscal year 2025–26 would be about $524,000 (an increase of $500 compared with the current year) but that the program still faced a structural gap. City staff outlined five options ranging from fully funding the program at higher levels to reducing service days; Option 2 — keeping the current program at 235 meals per day (135 Meals on Wheels and 100 congregate) — would require roughly $267,000 in additional funding.
Council discussion focused on preserving current recipients, kitchen and delivery capacity and potential funding sources. Post said the city’s kitchen can prepare up to 282 meals a day and that staff had contacted the wait list; 47 people remained on the Meals on Wheels wait list as of Jan. 31, 2025. Council members asked for more detail on donations and whether parallel fundraising or a separate program could be run alongside the county-funded meals; staff cautioned that county grant rules and program reporting make running two overlapping programs complex.
Council Member Bridal moved to adopt Option 2 (maintain the current level of service) and amended his motion to add direction to staff to pursue Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and to partner with the Council on Aging on a fundraising campaign. The motion passed unanimously.
City staff said they would include a funding placeholder in the FY 2025–26 budget process, continue fundraising outreach, pursue grant opportunities and return to the council with budget detail and the Council on Aging’s fundraising plan.
The council’s action keeps the existing distribution of congregate meals and home deliveries intact for now while giving staff explicit tasks to pursue outside revenue and community contributions to close the shortfall.
