Webster, NY - 92 year-old Katherine enjoys her hot meal meal delivered every day by Meals On Wheels volunteer, Mary Gibson.
But, if spending cuts take effect as expected on March 1st, the agency won't be able to serve as many seniors in our area.
Right now, 900 meals are delivered to seniors here each day.
Program Director Phil Shippers said this isn't just about dropping off a hot meal.
He said volunteers like Mary Gibson check in on seniors, make sure they are healthy and offer companionship.
The visits also allows seniors to remain in their own homes.
Shippers said countless volunteers have discovered older folks who had fallen in their homes or were in need of medical attention.
He said even a four percent cut in federal funding would mean a loss of 56-hundred meals for seniors.
Meals On Wheels is trying to cut costs and come up with other revenue sources, but if these cuts go through Shippers said it's possible the agency may have to reduce deliveries to weekly, instead of daily.
That saddens volunteers like Mary who has been delivering meals since 1995.
Mary said her parents received Meals On Wheels and she was so grateful for this service and how it helped them, she wanted to give back.
She gets upset thinking that the program will have to be cut and some seniors won't get the meals they need.
Right now, there is a waiting list of 150 people requesting meals.
Shippers said that list could grow even longer if funding is cut.
Katherine said she doesn't know what she would do without daily meals and daily visits from Mary Gibson.
