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VNA leaders tell Knox County Board that senior meal program needs $100,000 from remaining ARPA funds
Summary
VNA Community Services leaders told the Knox County Board Dec. 23 that their home-delivered meals program has more than doubled since 2020 and faces short-term cashflow risks; Executive Director Michael Bennett asked the board for $100,000 or more from remaining ARPA or other funds to sustain services while reimbursements arrive.
Michael Bennett, executive director of VNA Community Services, told the Knox County Board on Dec. 23 that the nonprofit's home-delivered meals program has expanded sharply since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and now serves more than 165 active seniors.
"At the start of the pandemic, we served a maximum of 80 active recipients and a waiting list of 60 seniors in need. Today, I'm proud to say we've more than doubled that number," Bennett said, detailing program scale and costs and saying the organization has delivered more than 215,000 individual meals to more than 1,800 people since March 2020.
Bennett said the…
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