ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Senior Services Department recently received over half a million dollars in grant funding.
Last week, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the County Aging Funding Plan that will award the department a total of $550,626 from the Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG).
“Two weeks ago, we received our FY25 allocations and Stanly County will receive $550,626 in HCCBG funds,” said Stanly County Senior Services Director Pamela Sullivan. “As required, our HCCBG Advisory Board met, discussed, distributed and voted on the funding for each of the aging programs for the year.”
Set to run until June 30, 2025, the funding plan directly benefits the Senior Services Department’s aging programs: In-Home Services Level I (home management) and Level II (personal care); Congregate Nutrition; Home Delivered Meals; Transportation (medical and general) and Senior Center Operations.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services’ HCCBG consists of funding for in-home and community-based services currently available through the Division of Aging, as well as funding for in-home and community-based services that was previously administered by the NC Division of Social Services.
Commissioner Scott Efird asked Sullivan about the current status and waitlist availability of the county’s Meals on Wheels program included in the funding package.
Sullivan confirmed that all 15 Meals on Wheels routes have an active waitlist and that some requested participants have been waiting for service for up to two years; she added that their location within the county is an ongoing factor in route planning.
She estimated that around 400 meals a month are distributed by the Senior Services routes.
“I work in home health as you know, and our social worker works in several different counties,” Commissioner Patty Crump said to Sullivan. “She really brags on Stanly County and what you offer our patients, and she just always says how easy you all are to work with.”
“Thank you,” Sullivan responded. “We have a great team at the Senior Center that all have a heart to serve the older adults in our community.”
Board Chair Bill Lawhon added that the county still needs more citizens who can volunteer to help deliver the meals for the Meals on Wheels routes.
Sullivan advised anyone interested in helping to contact Joy Richardson — the Senior Services nutrition program supervisor — at 704-986-3769.
“It really is more than just a meal delivery program,” Sullivan added. “For some of those people, it’s the only contact they have on a daily basis; 911 has been called numerous times by our volunteers, so it really is more than just a nutrition program for older adults.”
The commissioners are set to hold their next regular meeting on Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. inside the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.