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St. Martin Council on Aging outlines services, transportation rules and $136,000 meals shortfall
Summary
At the St. Martin Parish joint committee meeting, Executive Director Shanice Lewis described the Council on Aging's Title III programs, noted a roughly $136,000 deficit in home-delivered meals this year, and highlighted a parish-supported transportation service that serves residents beginning at age 17 with a 48-hour booking policy.
Executive Director Shanice Lewis told the St. Martin Parish joint committee on April 21 that the St. Martin Council on Aging provides Title III services—including transportation, congregate and home-delivered meals, and caregiver supports—to parish residents and faces an operating gap in its Meals on Wheels program.
Lewis, who said the agency is in its 53rd year and was chartered in 1973, said the council is the parish’s main point of contact for older residents who need services and socialization. “Our mission through the St. Martin Council on Aging is to make every day a better day for the seniors of St. Martin Parish,” Lewis said.
Why it matters: The council’s transportation and meal programs are the two largest components of its budget, Lewis said, and both serve residents who otherwise might face isolation or early institutionalization. Lewis reported a shortfall of roughly $136,000 in the home-delivered meals budget for the current year and asked the parish and community partners to continue supporting fundraisers and local allocations to close the gap.
Program details and eligibility: Lewis told council members the agency’s Title III B program handles supportive services such as transportation and homemaker assistance; Title III C covers congregate meals and meal delivery; and Title III E supports caregivers. She said anyone age 60 or older who lives in St. Martin Parish is eligible for services after an initial case-manager assessment, but that the agency’s funded public transportation is available to riders age 17 and older within a roughly 50-mile radius of the parish. Riders must request service at least 48 hours in advance; drivers accept cash or checks (not card payments), and staff ask—but do not require—a $2 donation from riders aged 60 and older.
Council questions and follow-up: Council members sought clarification on whether students could schedule recurring rides to school or college. Lewis said recurring reservations are possible as long as each trip is booked with the required 48-hour notice, and that the transportation schedule generally runs Monday–Friday, roughly from 6:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. She added that grant contracts and DOTD rules shape some operational policies and that the parish government is the primary grantee while the council serves as a subrecipient for transportation grants.
Next steps: Lewis provided the council with fare schedules and operating materials and said the agency will work with local partners—including the City of Breaux Bridge and the Village of Parks—to address budget shortfalls through community fundraising and parish allocations. The council did not take a formal vote on funding at the April 21 meeting; Lewis said she will continue pursuing grants and partnership opportunities and the council will report back as budget options are identified.
