The Grand River Multipurpose Center in Chillicothe reports it is in danger of discontinuing its daily meal program and limiting its home-delivered meal program. The program provides about 410 hot meals at the center per week, and volunteers deliver about 640 meals to homebound seniors in Livingston County each week.
The meals served at the center are funded by the Older Americans Act through a contract with the Young at Heart Resources and local contributions. The Grand River Multipurpose Center’s contract with Young at Heart requires the center to provide meals to persons more than 60 years old on a free-will donation basis. Medicaid contributes to the funding for some of the home-delivered meals.
Young at Heart Resources projected the center would serve 125 meals per week during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and the center is only reimbursed for 125 meals instead of the 410 actually served. The center notes the free-will donations and partial reimbursement from Young at Heart does not cover the costs of the additional 285 meals.
The Grand River Multipurpose Center’s funding will be about $87,000 short between now and the end of the Young at Heart contract June 30th. The center hopes the contract for the 2020-2021 fiscal year will be “more realistic” about the number of seniors the center actually serves.
About $15,000 has already been pledged toward the shortfall. Pledges have come from individuals, companies, charitable funds, and the Livingston County Senior Tax Board. $72,000 still needs to be raised in order to keep the programs.
Individuals and businesses willing to make monetary contributions can contact Grand River Multipurpose Center Administrator Cindy Ireland at 607 Business 36 in Chillicothe, Missouri 64601 or call 660-646-1555. There is also a donation box in the center near the speaker’s podium. The center, for your convenience, also accepts donations online via Paypal at this LINK.
