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Senior LinkAge Line warns Pine County of meal-service cuts as regional funding falls
Summary
Regional aging-services officials told the Pine County Board that federal stimulus dollars have sunset and a new funding formula reduced regional Older Americans Act allocations from about $4.6M to roughly $3.5M, which will cut meal service volumes and some frozen-meal distribution sites in the area.
Representatives from Senior LinkAge Line and the Central Minnesota Council on Aging told the board that long-running senior services — including homemaker support, home-delivered and congregate meals, and care coordination — rely on a mix of federal and state funding and that recent changes will reduce available resources in 2025.
"Overall, our funding went from 4,600,000 to just over just over 3,000,000," the executive director said, explaining the combined effect of sunsetting American Rescue Plan dollars and a revised interstate funding formula. County-specific figures included $284,720 in Older Americans Act-funded services delivered to Pine County residents in 2024 and roughly 274 Pine County residents receiving home-delivered or congregate meals last year; presenters warned the county will see fewer meal distribution sites and about 80,000 fewer meals across the 14-county region in 2025 without additional state support.
The presenters urged the board to back a pending state biennial proposal for one-time senior nutrition funding and described a separate federal bill to ease reporting burdens on volunteer drivers that program leaders say would help maintain transportation capacity. Board members thanked the presenters and noted Pine County representatives serve on advisory bodies supporting Senior LinkAge Line operations.
