Elderbridge asks Crawford County for increased per‑senior support as federal funding falls

Jody Presswood, chief financial officer of Elderbridge Agency on Aging, told the Crawford County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12 that the agency’s region lost close to $800,000 in federal funding between fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Presswood presented the agency’s annual county report, described how "units" of service are counted (a unit can be a meal, a counseling session or an hour of case management) and asked the board to consider a county contribution of $3.30 per county resident senior to maintain services.

Presswood said Elderbridge uses county contributions to leverage federal funds and to qualify for grants. She said the agency has tightened some client assistance caps — reducing a prior maximum from $1,200 per client per year to $1,000 — and has prioritized services after reductions in federal grants. Presswood described home‑delivered meals, volunteer transportation, and case management delivered across a 29‑county Elderbridge region and noted that the agency works to keep per‑unit costs low.

Why it matters: Elderbridge said county contributions are part of the match that enables it to draw federal money. Presswood emphasized that without county support, some services would be reduced in high‑need areas. She also highlighted grant writing success (a grant writer brought in multiple grants) and volunteer capacity (Elderbridge reported about 52 volunteers across its territory).

Board response: Supervisors expressed appreciation for the agency’s work and asked clarifying questions about units and cost per meal. No formal vote or budget appropriation was taken at the meeting; the board indicated support in principle and will consider the funding request in the county budgeting process.

Ending: Presswood thanked supervisors for past support and asked for continued county funding to preserve services and federal match eligibility.