Area Development Districts (ADD) in Kentucky have recently made the decision to implement reductions to the senior meal program after being informed of funding cuts.
On Monday, Sept. 8, Commissioner Victoria Elridge of the Department of Aging and Independent Living sent a memorandum to ADD Districts informing them that a set of funding was going to expire on Sept. 30. The expired funding included a one-time federal COVID-19 fund and an additional budget request that was awarded in the state’s biennial budget for 2024-2026.
The memorandum cited reduced federal funding and federal policy changes as the reason for fewer available funds and noted that funds received on June 30 would be the only federal and state funding ADD receive this fiscal year.
In an interview with Buffalo Trace Area Development District Executive Director Kevin Cornette and Director of Aging and Independent Living Caroline Ullery it was stated that through July and August, 625 individuals have been served in the senior meal program (a total of 18,254 meals).
“In comparison, in fiscal year 2024, which we are on a state fiscal year, which is July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. We served a total of 673 individuals, a total of 81,881 meals. In fiscal year 2025, which is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, we served a total of 773 individuals, a total of 90,106 meals,” Ullery stated.
Cornette noted that the state has pushed for meals for eligible ADD participants with no waiting list.
“We were being pushed by the state office to no waiting list. In our case, I think we had 28 participants, we were in the process of adding on Thursday and Friday, and then we get the memorandum on Monday that we have to make reductions,” Cornette stated.
Ullery expressed that the week before receiving the memorandum, BTADD had added 10 additional individuals to the home-delivered meals program.
The funding cuts will affect ADD Districts statewide, but Cornette noted that BTADD does not have additional resources like larger areas do. “As far as with seniors, it’s us and our partner with Licking Valley Community Action,” he said.
The total statewide deficit amount for home-delivered meals will be $9,436,755.65, with BTADD seeing a deficit of $339,842.
“The memorandum says that the funding allocation we provided June, July 1, that’s all you’re going to get, that’s all that’s going to be available statewide. Whereas before the message has been, you add the clients, we’ll add the money, and that has stopped,” said Cornette.
According to Ullery, over the last several years, the state has been adding additional state funds as needed. Funding is received through the Older Americans Act, which provides funding for congregate meals (C1) and home-delivered meals (C2). Additional funds have also been received through an expanded senior meal program (ESMP).
“This year, they said the allocations you received for C1, C2 and ESMP, that’s it, that’s all you’ll get,” Ullery stated.
It was projected that around $14.5 million was needed for the program. According to Cornette, the state level reported that it only needed $10 million.
“This is not a direct result because of the Big, Beautiful Bill and the federal cuts. Now, those federal cuts and the big, beautiful bill will impact us next year, but that’s not what the current crisis is,” said Cornette.
He explained that BTADD’s goal is to minimize the impact on its participants as much as possible, and therefore, it made the choice to reduce the number of meals rather than eliminate clients.
“Now, it’s not to say that we won’t have to eliminate meals or participants altogether, but our goal in the Buffalo Trace Region — and each region has to do its own thing based on their numbers — our goal is to try to reduce or eliminate just meals per week,” explained Cornette.
Case managers have been instructed to go back through their client lists and conduct a Level-One screening and priority rating to see what the needs are, according to Ullery. She further noted that drive-by meals have stopped and senior centers have been asked to make reservations for congregate meals. The drive-by or pick-up meal service being stopped was in accordance with the memorandum.
A total of 160 weekly meals (22 meals in Bracken, 32 meals in Fleming, 34 meals in Lewis, 64 meals in Mason and eight meals in Robertson) have been reduced across the local district and a waiting list has been started with 31 clients already on it.
Ullery expressed that BTADD is open to help from local organizations and is hopeful that legislators might find additional funds or put money into the budget.
“The problem with that is we wouldn’t get that money until probably March or April. And so, at that point, where are we going to be? You know…we have to be able to sustain ourselves until the extra funding would become available,” Ullery stated.
When asked if there may be added challenges with the holidays coming up, Cornette responded that wintertime presents creative challenges. For example, God’s Pantry has ceased operations in Lewis County.
“We’re already seeing that impact with…and I think the food banks are having a more difficult time with the rising food cost and limited resources from whether it be the Cincinnati Free Store, God’s Pantry, I think there are more limited resources on that side as well. So that is going to compound the problem as we go forward,” said Cornette.
According to Ullery, this upcoming winter, BTADD does not plan on hosting the service where Licking Valley would deliver three to five shelf-stable meals to participants if bad weather were to occur and home-delivered meals could not be delivered.
“If we continued serving as we did in July and August, our home-delivered meal program would be out of funding in December or January. So we’re just having to make these decisions, not because we want to, of course, but just to sustain the program as long as we possibly can,” Ullery stated.
In a letter to meal participants, Ullery stated, “This was not a decision our team wanted to make, and we understand the impacts these changes will have on you. We want to assure you that providing for the nutritional needs of our older adults remains our top priority. We are diligently working to manage this budget shortfall and navigate the current funding situation.”
When asked what BTADDs would want people to know about the funding cuts and what will happen moving forward, Cornette stressed that they are doing everything to minimize the impact, “especially to not eliminate anyone off the program.”
“While we understand it might be a hardship that they lose a few meals a week, they’re still getting something to help, and I think that’s our goal, staff-wide, that’s our goal,” he said. “With our numbers…while that $350,000 seems like a long deficit, when you’re reducing 160-200 meals weekly, we can meet that quicker without completely eliminating folks. That’s our hope.”
