In June of this year, the State of Alaska accepted $485,000 dollars in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)–also known as “stimulus funds” from the federal government.  The funds are intended to “assist communities and the national aging services network hit hard by rising food costs at a time when demand for services is increasing due to the economic downturn and the growing number of older adults.”  According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, “The funds will provide meals to seniors in need of food, restore nutrition services that have been cut and restore positions which may have been eliminated or reduced.”

    The State Division of Senior and Disabilities Services invited Alaska’s senior centers around the state to apply for the ARRA money in September and made the funds available in October.  Although the funds are only available through March of 2010, seniors and staff agreed they would rather have the additional meal services even if only on a temporary basis.  A variety of programs around the state applied and many of Alaska’s senior citizens are now enjoying the benefits.   Most of the meals are provided at local senior centers or in other group settings to add socialization benefits, although homebound seniors may also receive home delivered meals through the program.

    Each senior center program presented a unique proposal to the State for use of the ARRA money.  For example, the Palmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc. is able to expand meals to areas of the community that they haven’t been able to serve, including the Butte, Knik River Road, Goat Creek, Sutton, Chickaloon, and the Fishnook areas.  The North Star Council on Aging in Fairbanks uses the money to provide seniors with a take home meal for the evening and helps the senior center keep up with the increased demand for home delivered meals.  In Anchorage, the funds are helping the Salvation Army, Older Alaskans Program with food costs; this program has seen a 25% increase in the demand for senior meals compared to last year.

    In the Southeast Region of the state, Southeast Senior Services is able to offer meals five days a week to seniors in the following communities, thanks to the ARRA funds: Craig, Haines, Hydaburg, Kake, Klawock, Skagway,Wrangell.  Previously, meals were only available three or four days a week in each of these communities (variable by funding resources available in each community).  Seward area seniors can now enjoy a sixth day of nutritional services, providing them with a hot, nutritious Saturday brunch meal through the winter months.  Senior Citizens of Kodiak has been serving extra meals with the ARRA money so that seniors who need the meals the most can use them for dinner or weekend meals. 

    Vickie Moyle of the Nenana Senior Center reports: “We contracted with local restaurants that are open year round, printed vouchers that were redeemable at the contracted restaurants, and then the people can go there and eat meals on the days that we do not serve meals at the center. It increases the number of meals to seniors PLUS it stimulates our local economy. It is a win win situation.”

     Joan Gone, RD, Health Program Manager for Alaska’s Division of Senior & Disabilities Services, explains: “Over the past few years, thanks to the advocacy efforts of the Alaska Commission on Aging and Alaska’s Agenet organization, the State Legislature has been very conscientious and generous to Alaska’s seniors, by increasing funding available to the Grantees to supplement grants provided under Title III of the Older American’s Act. Despite increased state funds, service providers continue to struggle financially to maintain operations in a time of rising food and shipping cost, and increased demand for services due to the economic downturn and the growing number of older adults. The fourteen (out of 30) providers that serve meals were awarded $485,000 in ARRA funds. The purpose of the secondary grant awards was to increase nutritious meals to seniors and create and restore positions which may have been eliminated or reduced”.

     Ms. Gone adds, “Older Alaskans benefit from the provision of increased meals that are being served through various methods, such as increased areas of service, increased times of day of meal services (i.e., adding breakfast and/or an evening meal), and increased days of operation.  I am very pleased that Older Alaskans will benefit from the undiminished and increased provision of nutritious meals, and it is especially gratifying to be able to distribute necessary funds (and my sincere appreciation) to the provider agencies that work so hard every day to maintain services to our seniors.”

"Norman Peratrovich savors warm soup on a cold day recently at Klawock Senior Center.  Centers around the state are offering expanded food services, from take-home meals to extended cafeteria hours, thanks to allocation of federal stimulus money."

"Klawock Elder Doris Williams enjoys her hot meal at the senior center."

Photos by Beverlee Tyner, Southeast Senior Services

Marianne Mills is the President of Agenet, Alaska’s Association of Senior Service Provider Agencies.   All of the programs mentioned in this article are members of Agenet. For more information, call (907)723-0226 or email Marianne.mills@ccsjuneau.org