Mayor Greg Nickels has announced the city of Seattle will receive federal stimulus funding to help provide more nutritious meals to low-income seniors at senior centers and community sites, and to deliver meals to home-bound elderly persons.
Seattle will also receive funds for job training for older workers.
“This funding provides more meals for low-income seniors at a critical time,” said Nickels in a statement. “The recession has created a greater need for food assistance and other basic services and the stimulus funds will help us meet that demand.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provides grants for meals for low-income older Americans in need. Seattle funds nutrition services countywide and will receive $457,583 in ARRA funds. This represents a 14 percent increase over the $3.2 million already allocated in 2009 for senior nutrition programs.
This new funding will provide approximately 52,500 more congregate meals to more than 2,600 people; it will also provide home-delivered food, including 28,053 meals for 150 seniors, and 3,744 bags of produce for nearly 900 home-bound seniors.
The city will also receive $77,104 in ARRA funds to provide job training and employment opportunities for older workers.
Community agencies with demonstrated demand for nutrition services will receive ARRA funds to serve more meals either in congregate settings or delivered to homebound seniors. Home delivered baskets of fresh produce will also be available.
The Seattle area agency providers are:
● Abbi’s Northwest
● Asian Counseling and Referral Services
● Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
● El Centro de la Raza
● My Service Mind of Northwest
● Pacific Asian Empowerment Program
● Refugee Women’s Alliance
● Ukrainian Community Center of Washington
● Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority
● Senior Services
Approximately half of the services mentioned above will be provided to Seattle residents, the majority of whom are ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees.
