Leaders from the Organization Convene on Capitol Hill to Urge Congress and the Administration to Protect and Increase Funding for Senior Nutrition Programs

ARLINGTON, Va., May 7, 2025 – Meals on Wheels America’s leadership, including President and CEO Ellie Hollander, and board of directors are on Capitol Hill today meeting with congressional leaders to advocate for the critical needs of older adults and reinforce the organization’s legislative priorities. At the top of this list, the organization has a clear message: funding for senior nutrition programs must be protected and strengthened. This comes on the heels of a series of announcements that threaten Meals on Wheels funding. The most recent is the administration’s fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal released on Friday, May 2, which called for a dramatic $163 billion cut to non-defense discretionary government funding, where funding for Meals on Wheels providers falls.  

The president’s “skinny budget” requests a 22.6% reduction to non-defense discretionary spending and a 26% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget, the agency that oversees and funds numerous programs and supportive services for seniors, including community-based Meals on Wheels providers. The president’s budget also includes proposals to eliminate the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Community Services Block Grant and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that provide critical support to vulnerable older adults and local organizations that serve them.  

While the president’s budget initiates the FY26 appropriations process, Congress has the final say on what parts of the proposal it will incorporate into appropriations bills. Meals on Wheels America is fiercely advocating for at least $1.6047 billion in FY26 funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III-C Nutrition Program, which includes:

• $774.6 million for the Home-Delivered Meal Program
• $670 million for the Congregate Meal Program
• $160.1 million for the Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP), restoring funding to FY23 levels

With the requested $1.6047 billion in funding, local senior nutrition programs could collectively serve approximately 469 million meals to 4.1 million older adults, an increase of 218 million meals and 1.9 million seniors compared to current levels, an important step toward meeting the growing need for services.

“At a time when nearly 13 million older Americans are experiencing or at risk of hunger and one in three Meals on Wheels providers has a waitlist, cuts of any kind – or even flat funding, which represents a cut due to rapidly increasing costs – would be disastrous,” said Ellie Hollander. “We recognize the tough decisions Congress faces this year regarding appropriations, but this is a pivotal moment when we cannot leave America's seniors behind. It’s time to invest in Meals on Wheels as a proven solution to senior hunger and isolation rather than put the health, well-being and independence of older Americans in jeopardy.”

LuAnn Oatman, chair of the board of directors and president and CEO of Berks Encore (a local Meals on Wheels provider in Reading, PA) added, “We can provide an older adult with nutritious meals and social connection for an entire year for roughly the same cost as one day in the hospital or ten days in a long-term care facility. The investment in Meals on Wheels achieves significant savings for the government by enabling seniors to live independently at home and preventing the use of far more costly health care services.”  

In addition to advocating for a long overdue and critically needed funding increase for the OAA Nutrition Program in FY26, Meals on Wheels America is concurrently urging Congress to protect the Social Services Block Grant (SSGB) program during the budget reconciliation process. This poses an immediate concern because the SSBG program provides vital, complementary funding for many Meals on Wheels providers. In fact, in some communities, SSBG funding is the only source of federal support received. Any attempt to eliminate or cut SSBG funding would directly harm the nation’s most vulnerable seniors. Likewise, if SNAP or Medicaid face cuts, demand for Meals on Wheels will skyrocket further.  

Meals on Wheels America will continue to champion increased investments in programs that empower and enable millions of older adults to live with independence and dignity in their homes and communities. It’s what our aging population deserves.  

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ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted volunteer workforce, this network delivers a comprehensive solution that begins with a meal and is proven to enable independence and well-being through the additional benefits of tailored nutrition, social connection, safety and much more. By providing funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.