Funding shortfall forces local nutrition centers to scale back services

KENNETT, Mo. (KBSI) – Local nutrition centers that serve some of the most vulnerable are having to close their doors and make cuts caught in the middle of a growing funding crisis. 

 Liz Yokley is the Chief Operating Officer of Aging Matters she shares these cuts come after rising costs, make it impossible for nutrition centers to keep up and additional funding is crucial.

“Out of the 31 nutrition centers there are several that had to close their doors” says Yokley.  Just to name a few Sikeston, Caruthersville, New Madrid, the Kennett, and Puxico center, those are all centers that did have to close their doors, on Mondays and there are more than just the one’s named, Portageville is a nutrition center that actually had to close.” 

“This is a decision that people had to make due to operational costs” says Yokley. “We look at rising fuel costs, the transportation that it takes to deliver the meals. You look at the rising utility costs that occur, food cost when we all go to the grocery store, we’re seeing those rising prices and minimum wage has been increasing over the last several years.” 

Christina Nixon is the Kennett Oaks Nutrition Center Administrator she shares these centers do so much more than just provide meals. They serve hundreds of seniors through the week with a meal and crucial social interaction. They drop off hot meals and check on those stuck at home unable to get out or drive, ensuring that vulnerable seniors are checked on, fed, and have a safe space to connect.

“The social interaction is so important and just a lot of people have said to me one on one that that’s what kept them going when they lost a spouse or they lost a friend, or their children may be off somewhere” says Nixon. “Just having somewhere to go and socialize and another thing we do is we do wellness checks.” 

Nixon says not only did they have to cut down a day at the center, but they can no longer afford to deliver hot meals, only frozen meals, additionally they had to cut down on the number of seniors they now serve at the center.

Administrators are urging community members to participate in fundraisers and contact Missouri legislatures to make them aware of the funding issue. Nixon shares the Kennett Oaks nutrition center has a fundraiser on Thursday.

“We’re doing as much fundraising as we can, and we have a super singo event Thursday night. Once a month we do a fundraiser on Friday where we have a special meal that’s designated that people can purchase and they can take it to go they don’t have to eat it here” says Nixon. We’ve got a yard sale coming up I mean we’re doing all that we can to kind of fill that gap.” 

For communities that rely on these programs the impacts are immediate. 

For more details on Kennett Oaks fundraisers, you can contact the center Kennett | Aging Matters