State funding cuts to affect Tarrant County Meals On Wheels programs
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission on May 1 began suspending reimbursement funding for several programs provided by Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County, the organization said.
While its primary home-delivery and group meals programs will not be affected, the immediate loss of $450,000 in state funding will affect several others, including medication management, nutrition counseling, wellness checks, transportation and participant assessments.
“We are currently evaluating the full impact on our staffing and programming, and will make necessary adjustments to continue serving our clients as best we can under these challenging circumstances,” said spokesperson Keith Harrison in a press release.
The cuts compound a $1.6 million loss to the organization’s overall nutrition funding from last October, Harrison said.
“We recognize how vital these wrap-around services are to the health, independence and well-being of the seniors we serve,” he said. “We are working closely with our community partners to identify possible solutions and maintain as much support as possible.”
The health commission said in a statement sent after publication that it does not directly contract with Meals On Wheels.
“HHSC continues to fund nutrition services programming to support this year’s operations and services,” said commission press officer Thomas Vazquez. “HHSC has not suspended any reimbursements for funding.”
The funding does not go directly to Meals On Wheels, Harrison said in a phone interview. It is disbursed to the Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County, which receives federal funding via the state commission per the Older Americans Act of 1965. Since the funding was cut off from the AAA, it couldn’t be distributed to Meals On Wheels, he said.
The Department of Health and Human Services provides up to 75% of the state commission’s funding, and those cuts trickle down to county-level services like Meals On Wheels, Harrison said.
The HHS media office did not immediately respond to a request for interview.
Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County had to immediately cut all transportation services, Harrison said. The organization no longer has the funds to give its clients rides to its activity centers, where seniors receive meals and can socialize.
The Meals On Wheels HomeMeds medication management program that could be affected ensures that seniors don’t take too much of a certain medication or take medications that would have adverse interactions.
Harrison said that the program not only keeps clients safe, it saves Tarrant County taxpayers money by ensuring clients don’t require emergency services at publicly funded medical centers like John Peter Smith Hospital. So what started as a way to save taxpayers money at the federal level could end up costing them more at the county level, he said.
Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County expressed concern about funding cuts in January after President Donald Trump issued a freeze on federal grant programs.
A volunteer newsletter from March shared with the Star-Telegram stated that the organization had been forced to eliminate some part-time delivery driver positions in response to funding pressures. The job cuts came after efforts like reducing breakfast meals for clients and tightening up the qualification process for new clients failed to ease those pressures, the newsletter said.
The organization restructured its routes and began relying exclusively on full-time delivery drivers in early February, the newsletter said.
Meals On Wheels also depends on volunteers to help deliver meals and check on clients. They also need volunteers to deliver pet food to clients or make home visits to help those experiencing loneliness.
Those interested in helping out can check the Meals On Wheels website for volunteer opportunities.
“Through our meals and wrap-around services, we provide a critical safety net for some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community,” Harrison said, adding that he thanks the community for its support and will provide more information as it becomes available.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 11:59 AM.
