WISCONSIN TO RECEIVE $1.78 MILLION IN STIMULUS FUNDING FOR SENIOR NUTRITION
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, announced today that Wisconsin will receive $1.78 million in additional funding to provide meals to seniors in need of food, restore nutrition services that have been cut, and reinstate positions that may have been eliminated or reduced. These funds are being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, more commonly referred to as a stimulus package, which was signed into law last month by President Barack Obama. Senator Kohl voted in favor of the bill.
"The experience of some American seniors-who often must forego food in order to pay bills, buy medicine, or help a family member in need-is unimaginable to most of us," said Chairman Kohl. "Federal programs like the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Elderly Nutrition Program make a huge impact by providing meals in senior centers and delivering food to seniors in their own homes. I am happy to announce this additional boost for such programs."
Nearly $1.2 million will fund meals that are provided in Wisconsin senior centers, while $587,978 will be put toward home-delivered meals. These funds will help local and national aging services deal with the increased demand for food aid due to both the economic downturn and the expanding population of older Americans. The boost will also help these programs confront rising food costs. The ARRA included a total of $100 million for meals and nutrition services nationwide under the Older Americans Act (OAA).
OAA programs are valuable for senior citizens across Wisconsin and the nation, providing funding for senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, elder abuse protection, and support for family caregivers. As a senior member of the Appropriations committee, Kohl supports increased funding each year for programs authorized under the OAA. Kohl has also worked to increase federal funding for older American nutrition through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides a modest box of grocery staples every month to 440,000 low-income elderly Americans.
#
# #
