Commissioner Miller Awards $8.5 Million to Help Feed Elderly Texans (3/26/2015)

AUSTIN – Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced today the Texas Department of Agriculture is awarding approximately $8.5 million to more than 130 agencies across the state that serve meals to homebound elderly and disabled Texans. These grants are part of TDA’s Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program, which is funded by the Texas Legislature.

“We must do everything in our power to make sure our seniors and Texans with special needs never go hungry,” Commissioner Miller said. “This funding will help fill the stomachs and hearts of people who need it most. We’re giving them a helping hand, not a handout.”

The Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program is a result of House Bill 407, which was passed by the 80th Texas Legislature. The bill allocates extra funding to home-delivered meal providers.

“The home-delivered meal program keeps people out of institutional care and in the comfort of their own homes,” Commissioner Miller said. “This saves taxpayers money. It also provides seniors and those with special needs with the opportunity to live where they are in a secure, happy and healthy environment.”

The grants are based partly on the number of meals eligible applicants served last year. Grants can only be used to supplement and expand existing services related to the delivery of meals. Meals on Wheels and More of Central Texas is one of this year’s grant recipients.

“The Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program makes a critical difference in the lives of tens of thousands of homebound older adults and people with disabilities,” said Dan Pruett, president/CEO of Meals on Wheels and More. “These are folks who live on fixed incomes and might not otherwise have access to nutritious food. Many of the Texans who receive assistance through this program bravely served our nation in the armed forces. Meals on Wheels and More thanks Commissioner Miller for his strong support and helping our agency help those in need.”

Last year, TDA awarded grant funding to home-delivered meal providers who served more than 13 million meals statewide. The Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program has provided nearly $73 million to Texas organizations over the past eight years.

For more information on the Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program or for a complete list of grant recipients, visit TexasAgriculture.gov and click on the Grants & Services tab.