Long-running programs for meal delivery, medical transportation, case management and elder abuse prevention set to expire July 1 in Orange County will see a continuation of $23 million in funding from county after all.
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After initially dividing last month on whether to continue contracts that include two senior services providers that had engaged in disputes with the county, the OC Board of Supervisors agreed this week to extend the funding.
On a revote Tuesday, June 9, the supervisors unanimously voted to extend the three annual contracts.
Supervisor Don Wagner voted against the contracts at the May 19 meeting, citing ongoing concerns with the vendors Meals on Wheels OC and Age Well Senior Services.
In 2022, the county sued the nonprofits to recoup unused pandemic funds they had received through the Great Plates program, saying Meals on Wheels was obliged to return more than $14 million and Age Well more than $8 million. The groups refused, saying county leaders had told them to use the money to continue providing services to seniors, according to reporting from the Voice of OC.
The two sides , with the nonprofits agreeing to return $14 million to the county.
“The litigation did get settled, but the county was not compensated 100% on the dollar,” Wagner said last month.
Wagner said this week that he felt more at ease about renewing funding for Meals on Wheels OC and Age Well Senior Services after speaking with the new leaders of both groups. He added that county staffers are also taking steps to put out requests for proposals for the senior meals programs in the future.
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“Because we’ve got to do these programs and there’s new leadership I trust with both organizations, I’m going to be supportive of this,” Wagner said.
Madelynn Hirneise, the president and chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels OC, expressed gratitude for the board’s decision in a statement Thursday.
“As the largest nonprofit provider of senior nutrition and supportive services in Orange County, Meals on Wheels Orange County is grateful to the Orange County Board of Supervisors for the unanimous support of our mission and for their continued investment in the health and well-being of older adults throughout our community,” Hirneise said.
Supervisor Katrina Foley, who proposed the revote, said the agreements would fund more than 1.25 million meals for older adults, up to 130,000 rides to medical appointments and transportation support for roughly 23,000 seniors.
“My bigger concern is what happens to the older frail adult who needs a ride to the hospital, who needs a meal,” she said previously.
In addition to Meals on Wheels and Age Well, the contracts cover support services from a host of local nonprofits and healthcare providers, including Abrazar, Community Legal Aid SoCal, Council on Aging Southern California, Hope Community Services and Providence St. Jude Medical Center.
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