Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed $500,000 in additional funding for the Meals on Wheels program provided by Aging Matters in Brevard.
The rejection comes at a time when the Brevard County nonprofit says the safety net for needy seniors is "unraveling."
The budget request vetoed by the governor on Monday would have gone entirely to home-delivered meals for 100 to 200 older residents of Brevard County.
“I did more than half a billion dollars in line item vetoes,” DeSantis said at a budget-signing event Monday. “And, you know, some of the stuff … I don't think should have been in the budget, for sure, but some of it wasn't, some of it wasn't bad, but I felt it was important to get the budget spending in line with my recommendations.”
Meanwhile, Aging Matters in Brevard is announcing a three-year fundraising initiative.
President and CEO Tom Kammerdener said the nonprofit has a waiting list approaching 400 seniors needing Meals on Wheels that could reach 600 by year’s end.
“Many of these people are unable to cook, desperate, afraid and unsure if they will have food to eat,” he said in a prepared statement.
In an interview, he said their level of need is rated one to five, with five being the most in need of nutritional support.
The wait list now has about 30 of those rated a five, he said. “These are people that desperately need it.”
Now, he said costs are rising -- for things like food, fuel and labor -- but the funding is stagnant.
“The more we’re spending, the less we’re feeding,” Kammerdener said.
The number of those being served has actually declined in recent years. In its 2023 annual report, the nonprofit said it served 1,436 homebound seniors. Kammerdener said that’s down to 1,088.
Aging Matters in Brevard relies on hundreds of volunteers, and serves or delivers more than 400,000 meals in a year to older residents, through Meals on Wheels and lunch meal sites for seniors.
It depends mostly on federal and state funding along with donations and community support. Its new Champions campaign is focused heavily on that community support.
