ADAMS COUNTY, Colo — The Meals on Wheels program in Adams County faces an uncertain future with its nonprofit sponsor, Senior Hub, in financial freefall capped by the decision to rely on one-time federal stimulus dollars to fund Meals on Wheels.
Senior Hub gave seniors little notice that the Meals on Wheels food delivery program will be suspended on Dec. 31 due to what was described as a sudden loss of funding. But the nonprofit had long known it was using one-time funds.
The nonprofit continues to solicit funding for Meals on Wheels from the public, despite the nonprofit's potential closure or a scaled-back future without the Meals on Wheels program.
Senior Hub’s leaders had known that their largest remaining program was at risk because the nonprofit had chosen to fund Meals on Wheels with one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, dollars.
Senior Hub’s executive director Franklin Ramirez said he was unaware of the funding cliff when he joined the 37-year-old organization in July and was informed in October by other leaders within the organization.
“I didn’t know about it coming into it,” Ramirez said. “All I can do is work with the hand I’m dealt.”
Ramirez said Senior Hub did not notify clients months ago that meal delivery was ending because the nonprofit hoped to secure an additional $550,000 in funding from Adams County, which would allow Meals on Wheels to continue operating for about five months.
Senior Hub misunderstood the Adams County grant, Ramirez said. The maximum grant available was only $50,000.
9NEWS’ review of financial records, program materials, and interviews with Senior Hub leadership indicate that the abrupt suspension of Adams County’s Meals on Wheels program, which prompted news coverage soliciting donations from the public, was years in the making.
Tax filings reviewed by 9NEWS indicate Senior Hub operated at a loss in seven of 10 tax years from 2012 to 2022, including in 2021 and 2022.
Ramirez acknowledges that Senior Hub built a financial house of cards by increasing expenditures on Meals on Wheels and shifting its funding source to one-time ARPA dollars.
“I was like oof, it’s not sustainable,” Ramirez said.
Senior Hub depleted the ARPA funds more quickly than it might have otherwise by expanding Meals on Wheels eligibility during the pandemic.
The nonprofit chose to stop means testing, or what it refers to as an “assessment,” on whether Meals on Wheels recipients could afford to pay for the meals. Numerous Meals on Wheels programs allow for paying customers to receive the companionship and nutrition the program provides while covering the cost of their own meal.
As a result, Senior Hub’s Meals on Wheels rolls ballooned to 550 non-paying customers. Ramirez said if the program is to continue, it would require an assessment to determine which clients can afford to pay.
Additionally, Ramirez said Senior Hub switched to a more expensive meal provider in 2021. The original meal supplier, Volunteers of America, charged roughly $8 per meal. The new supplier, Golden Corral, charged about $10 per meal.
“If any mistake was made,” Ramirez said, “we served too many people with the amount [of funding] we had.”
“During the pandemic, it was great,” Ramirez said. “You had plenty of money to feed people.”
This year, Volunteers of America moved its meal kitchen to Adams County, but that facility had not supplied meals to Senior Hub, Ramirez said.
Volunteers of America did not respond to a request for comment.
Senior Hub has drastically reduced its programming in recent years, leaving only its Meals on Wheels program and a food bank.
Senior Hub’s adult day center was closed in October when it was not able to comply with state regulations, Ramirez said.
The nonprofit's Home Care Solutions program, offering in-home services for older Coloradans, was discontinued, and a Well Elder Care virtual assistance program was terminated when funding for it was not pursued, Ramirez said.
Senior Hub’s Senior Solutions and Senior Tech programs were shuttered in recent years.
“I suspect Senior Hub is like many nonprofits across the country that are or will be struggling with the transition from COVID-era funding to post-COVID strategies,” said Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio, a Democrat.
O’Dorisio said Adams County leaders were working over the holidays to obtain a short-term plan for food deliveries to Meals on Wheels clients. O’Dorisio said further details would be announced Thursday.
“Unfortunately, we are moving toward a time where federal ARPA dollars are running out. Many nonprofits are challenged with sustainability and weaning itself off dependence on government funding," he said. "Adams County will continue to work as best we can to help with this transition. But we cannot expect nonprofits to continue operating with the same funding they received during covid.”
Ramirez said Volunteers of America had offered emergency meals to feed Senior Hub’s 550 clients for one or two weeks.
In a news release Thursday, the county said they have partnered with Senior Hub, Volunteers of America Colorado, and the Denver Regional Council of Governments "to fund emergency meals while a long-term strategy is developed to continue these services for older adults into the new year."
"Over the next few weeks, Senior Hub will continue coordinating its existing volunteers to deliver meals prepared by VOA Colorado while Adams County and DRCOG will provide temporary funding to cover the costs of these meal," the county said.
Ramirez said it was fair to ask whether additional taxpayer funds should be given to Senior Hub, given how previous taxpayer dollars were managed.
“We’re going to have to make changes and we don’t know what those changes are,” Ramirez said. “It’s a little bit of hope mixed with strategic direction.”
Senior Hub may no longer be involved in Meals on Wheels, or may take on a different role, Ramirez said.
Senior Hub continues to solicit donations from the public through the for-profit website GoFundMe to “save” the Meals on Wheels program.
An email to volunteers, obtained by 9NEWS, paints a bleak picture.
“Some of you may have seen the news stories and go fund me page going around to raise funds,” the email read, in part. “We are still trying our best to save the program, but it would take a Whole lot of money to get the funding we need for meals and to keep our doors open. Please share the go fund me if you come across it.”
The email to Senior Hub volunteers acknowledged that Meals on Wheels may be taken over by another organization.
Ramirez told 9NEWS that Senior Hub chose to use GoFundMe, rather than directing people to make tax-deductible contributions directly to the nonprofit, because of the public’s familiarity with the for-profit crowdfunding site.
Ramirez said any donations raised to save Meals on Wheels will be used for Senior Hub’s food bank if Meals on Wheels is not resuscitated. But Ramirez said he was honest with staff that “things are not looking up” and the entire organization’s future is in doubt.
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