A few hundred senior citizens in the Green River region are on a waiting list for home-delivered meals because of tightened state and federal budgets.
The Green River Area Development District, or GRADD, serves about 1,000 meals a day at senior centers and for in-home deliveries.
GRADD Associate Director for Aging and Social Services Jennifer Williams said a substantial number of elderly residents who have requested home-delivered meals can’t be served.
"We have about 300 people on the waiting list for home-delivered meals," said Williams. "Most of those, of course, are in Daviess County because it is our largest county in the seven-county area, closely followed by Henderson.”
She said the reason more seniors can’t be served is because state and federal funding has been stagnant for about the past 15 years.
“Even though the population is growing by leaps and bounds, the funding is not. So more and more we see folks having to go on the waiting list until we get meals available.”
Williams said there are many senior citizens who have to choose between paying utility or medical bills and food.
Community organizations and businesses are taking part in a food drive called ‘Feed Seniors Now’ that runs through April 13.
GRADD serves Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster counties.
