Title III-C Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals

Geographic Scope: 27 counties in southwest Minnesota: Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sibley, Swift, Waseca, Watonwan, and Yellow Medicine Counties.

Eligibility: Agencies and organizations that provide direct services for older adults (age 60+) and their caregivers.

Program Types:

• Congregate dining: Allows individuals to gather at community sites (senior centers, community centers) to share meals and participate in socialization, programs, and activities
• Home-delivered meals: Provides meals to individuals unable to leave their homes due to transportation limitations, chronic illness, anxiety, fear of falling, or acute illness; includes wellness checks

Focus Areas:

• Nutrition services
• Socialization
• Wellness monitoring
• Addressing malnutrition risk (1 in 2 older adults age 65+ are at risk for malnutrition)

Funding Source: Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and other federal funding

Background: These cost-effective programs help reduce malnutrition and social isolation. Home-delivered meals are sometimes the only interaction older adults may experience in a day or week.