An agency that helps feed seniors in southeastern Iowa will reduce some of its programs. The Milestones Area Agency on Aging says the reason is steady funding as the need has continued to grow.
Spokeswoman Peggy Dykes says, starting later this month, Milestones will close 8 senior meal centers and reduce home delivery from 7 meals to 5 meals per week. In addition to the state and federal funding shortfall, she says there's a trend nationwide of fewer seniors going to meal sites.
"For the newer seniors who are coming up, that doesn't seem to be a popular option with them. Our older seniors who have been going to the meal sites for many years have changed and now they are requesting home-delivered meals, probably because of mobility issues and not being able to go to the those congregate sites."
She says their goal is keep at least one meal site open in each of the agency's 17 southeastern Iowa counties.
People requesting home delivering from Milestones will now be put on a waiting list.
"We have so many drivers and so many routes. So we look at the route and if it can efficiently fit into that route, depending on the driver, then we will go ahead and put that person as an active client."
Dykes says Milestones is trying to affect the fewest number of people possible, and will notify everyone affected. The changes start taking effect at the end of this month.
