Funding challenges facing senior centers and Meals on Wheels programs took center stage during a Silver-Haired Legislative Forum held at the Greenwood Senior Center, where seniors, elected officials, candidates and advocates gathered to discuss problems facing programs that serve older Arkansans — and potential solutions.
Greenwood Mayor Doug Kinslow, senior citizen advocate Jim Reynolds, Greenwood City Council candidate Cameron Kehler and Mansfield mayoral candidate Boyd Farmer joined area seniors for the discussion.
Also participating were Area Agency on Aging Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Hallum and assistant Shannon Rodriguez, State Rep. Cindy Crawford, State Rep. Jay Richardson, Sebastian County Justice of the Peace Danny Aldridge and Sebastian County Senior Centers Executive Director Deanna Rice.
Hallum discussed the possibility of using a portion of Arkansas medical marijuana tax revenue as a funding source that could be thoughtfully invested “in the well-being of older Americans.”
Rodriguez noted that $2.5 million in state funding provided last year was a one-time appropriation. Richardson said making such funding recurring could prove difficult, particularly as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ administration maintains a tight line on state spending.
The discussion highlighted the complex funding structure supporting senior services. Federal grant dollars first flow through the Arkansas Department of Human Services before reaching area agencies on aging, which retain 10 percent of the grant funding for administrative expenses.
Hallum, who took the reins of the Area Agency on Aging following Jim Medley, joined others in discussing both the problems facing senior programs and possible ways to address them.
One 85-year-old Greenwood Senior Center patron offered a pointed assessment of the situation. “We aren’t making right decisions at the top or we wouldn’t be having these problems,” the senior said.
Aldridge suggested one potential way to help — providing a fuel tax exemption for Meals on Wheels vans so those dollars could instead be directed toward feeding seniors. “It’s a minor expense,” Aldridge said. “Let’s feed seniors.”
Rice described the day-to-day financial realities facing Sebastian County’s senior centers, including rising food costs and difficulties recruiting and retaining employees. Staff members are not afforded health insurance, she said, and funding constraints have now reduced operations from five days a week to four. “It’s a struggle to keep staff as well as battling food costs,” Rice said.
Rice recognized the assistance senior centers have received from Sebastian County and credited Aldridge with being a champion for the programs as the county allocated additional funding. “We were so happy to think we were going to be able to open five days a week, but then we got hit with unexpected cuts, and it wiped us out,” Rice said.
Crawford was questioned about the state’s surplus and what responsibility state government has to help support its senior population. “We had a bill that was for $5 million, but it was an allocation for Meals on Wheels only,” Crawford said, adding that lawmakers must also consider the facilities providing those services. “We’ve got to keep senior centers open.”
At the local level, Kinslow said he would work to secure as much city funding for the Greenwood center as possible. The city currently allocates approximately $24,000 annually to the center, according to discussion at the forum. Rice said the city had previously provided approximately $50,000 per year.
Kinslow also pointed to savings associated with Greenwood’s new senior center facility, saying the building is energy efficient and is helping reduce utility expenses. The mayor also reflected on the decision that helped make the new senior center location possible. Kinslow cast the tie-breaking vote on the issue.
The forum underscored a common concern among those attending: senior centers are more than buildings where meals are served. They provide nutrition, social interaction and a connection to services for older residents, while Meals on Wheels programs reach seniors who may be unable to leave their homes.
While participants did not leave the forum with a single solution to the funding challenges, the discussion brought local and state officials face-to-face with the seniors and service providers dealing with the consequences of rising costs and limited resources.
For Rice the message was clear — finding money to provide meals is critical, but keeping the senior centers themselves operating is just as important.
