Meals on Wheels America Issues Statement on Reopening of Federal Government and Need for Increased Funding

ARLINGTON, Va., November 13, 2025 – Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander issued the following statement today in response to the passage of H.R.5371, Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, ending the federal government shutdown:

While we are relieved that a bill has passed to reopen the federal government and funding for senior nutrition programs and other critical federal nutrition efforts will begin flowing again, the impacts of the shutdown will continue to be felt. Although the shutdown has ended, reimbursements for local Meals on Wheels providers are not immediate. These delays are particularly harmful because 9 in 10 local Meals on Wheels providers rely on federal funding through the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program — and 41% depend on it for at least half of their budgets. Local Meals on Wheels providers will continue to face immense uncertainty and will feel the ripple effects of this historic shutdown for quite some time.

Even before the shutdown, one in three Meals on Wheels providers maintained waitlists, with an average wait time nearing four months and some extending to two years, which this bill does not address. The lingering impact of the shutdown and the lack of increased funding, combined with recent cuts made to SNAP and Medicaid, will only worsen senior hunger and hardship, leaving more older adults waiting for help. Many local providers are struggling to sustain services with their own limited reserves — and a third of providers may have already exhausted those funds. This continued strain underscores why we are urgently calling for a sustained increase in federal funding — support that has yet to materialize through recent funding packages and other measures.

This is both dangerous and unacceptable. Federal funding for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, the backbone of senior nutrition services — was cut in fiscal year 2024 for the first time in more than a decade, despite rising costs and surging demand from a rapidly growing senior population. That funding has remained flat, contributing to widespread unmet need and growing waitlists, further exacerbating the crises of senior hunger and isolation. Vulnerable seniors in need of nutritious meals and moments of human connection and care should never have to wait for Meals on Wheels services.

This is the latest example of elected officials overlooking the basic needs of older Americans. Nearly 13 million older adults worry about having enough to eat, and 56% report feeling lonely — a level so high it was declared a public health epidemic. As the holiday season — a time when people should feel joy and togetherness — approaches, that isolation only deepens.

All year, we have urged Congress and the administration to increase funding for senior nutrition programs, and that support has still not come. No senior should spend the holidays waiting for meals or moments of connection, yet far too many are once again left behind. Meals on Wheels America urgently calls on Congress and the administration to:

• Pass an emergency supplemental funding package for senior nutrition programs to address the immediate gap caused by the shutdown and ongoing funding shortfalls.
• Increase annual funding for the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program to at least $1.605 billion to meet rising costs and the needs of the growing senior population.

Supporting these programs means more than meals — it means dignity, safety and social connection for millions of older Americans who deserve to be prioritized this holiday season and always.

It is past time for policymakers to truly prioritize our nation’s seniors. We ask everyone to reach out to their members of Congress and urge them to take action. Learn more at  mealsonwheelsamerica.org/email-congress.

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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. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. Through funding, leadership, 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 get involved in advocacy efforts, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

Press Contact: press@mealsonwheelsamerica.org