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ACAP asks Benton County for modest funding increase to sustain meals, housing and family programs
Summary
At a Benton County meeting ACAP requested a 3% increase in county funding, citing service volumes across senior dining, housing assistance and a North Benton family resource center; commissioners asked budget and program questions and deferred action to the budgeting process.
At a county board meeting, an ACAP representative requested a 3% increase in Benton County funding for next year to support senior dining, supportive housing and the county family resource center.
The presenter said the request keeps prior service lines intact and highlighted line-item needs: $10,300 for raw food at the Belle Plaine senior dining program; $22,339 to support the Bridal Payne housing program (three apartments and one single-family dwelling in Vinton); and $48,499 for the North Benton Family Resource Center, which runs congregate and home-delivered senior meals and other services. "We did request a 3% increase," the speaker said.
The presenter summarized recent service volumes and outcomes: "We served over 1,000 households" during the last fiscal year and households received over "$800,000 in direct assistance" (an average cited as $777 per household). The agency also reported 506 households received almost $300,000 in utility assistance, 96 households received crisis energy assistance, and its mobile pantry served several hundred households monthly. The speaker added the food reservoir distributes a large volume of food to partner agencies and described the mix of donated, purchased and USDA commodity food the agency uses.
Board members asked about how prior one-time federal funds (ARPA/CARES) had affected service volumes and noted that the county no longer has the same one-time funding to rely on. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about staffing levels, facility age and how the agency is adapting to reduced grant funding; the presenter said programs were resized where necessary but that demand remains high.
No formal vote on the funding request was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to include the request and supporting documentation in upcoming budget materials so the board can act during the formal budget process.
