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Malala resident urges county help feeding seniors; county outlines existing grants
Summary
Resident Patricia Tarson told the board she is providing weekly food items to seniors in Malala but cannot sustain it alone; County Administrator Gary Schmidt responded that the county already provides subrecipient grants to senior community centers funded through the Oregon Department of Human Services and state transportation funds, totaling roughly $500,000–$1,000,000 over two to three years.
At the start of the June 11 business meeting, Malala resident Patricia Tarson described personally purchasing bread, eggs and basic groceries to support local seniors who rely on small nutrition programs. Tarson said she spends about $40–$50 weekly from her own Social Security income and submitted a written proposal asking the county for help sustaining the effort. "They're so appreciative of it," she said, and asked the board to consider how to sustain support beyond individual donations.
County Administrator Gary Schmidt responded during the staff portion of the meeting that Clackamas County provides funding to senior community centers via subrecipient grants from the Oregon Department of Human Services and a state transportation fund for older and disabled Oregonians. Schmidt said the county's grants to senior centers have ranged between $500,000 and $1,000,000 over a two‑ to three‑year period and noted the county provided emergency funding earlier in the year to the Clackamas Service Center during a federal SNAP benefit disruption.
Chair Roberts thanked Tarson for her advocacy and invited her to stay after the meeting to follow up on next steps. Commissioners also asked for the written proposal to be made available to staff and public resources so donors could be directed to appropriate organizations.
The county said it will continue to provide information to the public about existing senior center funding and follow up with Tarson on potential next steps.
