Senator Collins Announces More Than $1.2 Million for Senior Nutrition in Maine

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Aging Committee, announced today that Maine will receive a total of $1,204,522 for senior nutrition through the Administration for Community Living.  The funding includes $803,015 for home-delivered meals and $401,507 for congregate meals.  Due to a Department of Health and Human Services policy change Senator Collins recently secured, Area Agencies on Aging can now use 100% of congregate meal funding for home-delivered meals, and more seniors are eligible for this service.

“Given the heightened demand for nutrition services due to seniors self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic, this funding was urgently needed,” said Senator Collins.  “As the Chairman of the Aging Committee, I will continue to advocate for these vital programs that serve seniors by delivering meals directly to their homes and reaching them where they are.”

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which Senator Collins voted for earlier this month, provided the additional funding for the nutrition services programs authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA).  Senator Collins authored the reauthorization of the OAA, which includes a seven percent across-the-board increase for all OAA programs and will be signed into law today.

OAA programs provide meals to more than 2.4 million older adults each year, both through home delivery and in places like community centers. The need for these services, particularly home-delivered and packaged meals, has increased as community measures to slow transmission of COVID-19 have closed meal sites and have left many family caregivers unable to assist their older loved ones.