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Metro Senior Meal Services Face Cuts

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

GUTHRIE, Oklahoma – It has not been a good start to the month for thousands of senior citizens across Oklahoma. Many of them are homebound and depend on meals delivered to their door. But, millions of dollars to fund these types of programs have been cut by state agencies.

The cuts were made to make up for shortfalls in these agencies' budgets. One such program hit hard already has a lot of seniors looking for a place to get a hot meal.

The Logan County Aging Services in Guthrie's routine includes packing up meals and getting them ready to be delivered to senior citizens in their homes.

"Well, it certainly has helped me because it was at home and I can't see to cook and I have a hard time hearing," Betty Action said.

Betty Acton, 85, got on the program over the summer, but she was just notified last week that she can no longer get the meals delivered. Her daughter, who lives in Edmond, brought her in Monday to see if anything could be done.

"We were absolutely shocked," said Action's daughter, Linda Wrede. "This is such a needy program and such an important program for so many people."

It is an important program for people like 77-year-old Earnest Tyson who is homebound.

"It's wonderful, a good meal," said Tyson. "If they cut me off I don't know what I'm gonna do."

The program is run by the Department of Human Services. The agency cut $7.4 million from it to make up for revenue shortfalls.

The people in Guthrie had to drop more than half of their 60 clients from getting meals at home.

"All of our people needed the meals or they wouldn't have been on in the first place, but we had to make cuts somewhere," Lashelle Ratcliff with Logan County Aging Services said.

For many of their clients the home delivery is also the only interaction they get with the public on a daily basis, so it also serves as a wellness check.

State Senator Kenneth Corn has called for lawmakers to come back in session to fix the problem or have DHS find cuts elsewhere.

"I believe we are judged upon how we take care of our young people and our senior citizens," said Sen. Corn. "At this point, I'd say the legislature is getting an 'F' for our efforts here."