Federal Funding Halt Threatens Olney Senior Cub Center

Angela Lockard, director of the Olney-Young County Senior Cub Center, expressed deep concern this week after learning that federal reimbursements for senior nutrition programs would be delayed and possibly reduced, placing residents who rely on the Center for meals and companionship at risk.

The Center maintains has the financial resources to keep serving for about six months without the federal reimbursements that provide 20 percent of its annual budget, she said. But it is no longer clear when those reimbursements will come, if ever.

Nortex, the regional gov- ernment agency that distributes federal and state funds to senior centers across the region, alerted her that the reimbursements for meals that the Senior Cub Center has already served, will be delayed indefinitely.

“I’m shocked by the news I received last week from the Nortex Area Agency on Aging,” Mrs. Lockard said in a statement. “They informed me that funding could be decreased for FY2025 (which ends September 30) and that there would be a delay in reimbursements beginning for the month of April.”

“This is due to the federal freeze in funds,” Mrs Lockard said. “As for a certain date for distribution of federal funds, they could not give us.”

Nortex receives funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), which in turn depends on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Mrs. Lockard described the situation as both confusing and disheartening. “Meals on Wheels and the on-site dining program, called the Congregate Program, are bona fide programs,” she said. “Seniors who participate in the Congregate Program find meaning and connection—the food is an added bonus; and homebound individuals are empowered to remain at home, independently living, because they receive the nutritious meal and well-visit daily.”

The Cub Center’s board of directors will meet next week to develop a contingency plan in case the delays continue or Congress enacts the cuts proposed by President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget, she said.

“I can’t understand why anyone would want to destabilize these programs,” she said.

President Trump’s proposal calls for a 26 percent cut to HHS and the elimination of key food support programs, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Although Meals on Wheels funding details were not specified in the initial proposal, the risk to Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition programs, such as home-delivered and congregate meals, is significant, according to Meals on Wheels America.

Meals on Wheels America, a national advocacy group, is calling on Congress to fully fund senior nutrition programs at $1.605 billion. Their request includes $774.6 million for the Home-Delivered Meal Program and $670 million for the Congregate Meal Program. A recent analysis by the group found that one in three senior meal programs nationwide already maintains a waitlist, while nearly 13 million seniors are experiencing food insecurity.

Local and national advocates are now urging community members to contact their congressional representatives to oppose the proposed cuts and press for immediate release of the funding already allocated.