State Representative Charlie Meier is chief co-sponsor of a bill designed to give the Project Bread meal sites and Meals on Wheels programs in Salem and Centralia a state source of funding.
The House Bill would redirect $25 million from General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for the Home Delivered Meals Program by diverting funding from the Department of Human Services for Illinois Welcoming Centers.
Without getting to the bottom of the issue when federal funding would be restored, Meier said he had to do something. He notes the state is spending over $1 billion dollars on illegal immigrants while programs that Illinoisans rely on are forced to make tough decisions due to the lack of funding. Meier says the state’s priorities need to shift, with Illinois citizens coming first.
Meier is frustrated with the lack of accountability. He notes each day a new finger is pointed at someone else. No one is willing to take the blame and solve the problem and our seniors are not getting hot daily meals as they deserve. Meier is asking for a committee hearing to get to the bottom of the problem.
A grassroots Salem group is now delivering hot meals to those in the Salem and rural Marion County area on an interim basis, while BCMW used donations to purchase food at the Springfield food bank and delivered it to Meals on Wheels recipients to give them a supply of food for the next two weeks.
BCMW has not received a check for services provided in July, but has no idea when any additional money may be forthcoming. Executive Director Jessica Backs is hopeful problems can resolve and Project Bread’s normal services can resume within two months.
