Advocate
July 15, 2021 – HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES FY 2022 FUNDING INCREASES FOR SENIOR NUTRITION.
Will now move to the full House for a vote.
Having increased OAA funding has proven essential throughout the pandemic, and the enacted emergency relief packages allowed programs to effectively respond to the surging need that existed prior to – and was worsened by – the public health crisis. For example, at the height of the pandemic, senior nutrition programs reported delivering an average of 100% more home-delivered meals than they served before March 2020. Four out of five local programs agreed that their new clients they began serving during the pandemic are here to stay, while at the same time, programs are also facing rising costs and fear they may need to halt services unless additional resources are made available.
We commend this call for increased federal funding for the OAA and again thank the Members of Congress who signed onto this letter for acknowledging the crucial role the OAA plays in comprehensively and cost-effectively meeting the needs of Americans as they age. We are eager to work together with Congress and the Administration throughout the FY 2022 appropriations process to continue building on the strong support for this legislation and urge this doubling of currently enacted appropriations levels, for a total of $4.26 billion.
Read the letter here.
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Oregon and Washington Fact Sheets:
Escalating Senior Hunger in Washington State
Escalating Senior Hunger in Oregon State
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