Senior meals agency found

A nonprofit agency in Butte County will take over preparations for congregate meals for Yuba-Sutter senior citizens next month, about three months after the previous provider announced it will discontinue the program.

Julianna Roberts, food and nutrition manager for Community Action Agency of Butte County Inc., said the organization would add services in Yuba and Sutter counties to serve more than 115 seniors beginning Oct. 7 and through the end of the fiscal year.

"This is what we do," Roberts said of adding local meals. "It's near and dear to our hearts."

The Action Agency already provides several types of services for low-income families in Butte County, including utility assistance, affordable housing, senior meals and food banks.

Roberts said her organization's nutrition program serves 400 Butte County seniors at five congregate locations and through home-delivered meals. It also serves 8,000 families through its food bank.

This deal comes nearly three months after QuEST — Quality Education Services Training — announced it would no longer provide meals to 220 seniors in Yuba and Sutter counties. The nonprofit agency listed budgetary woes as a primary reason.

Terms of the contract were not available.

Senior meal programs are funded through the federal government and filtered through the state agency Area 4 Agency on Aging. Previously, Area 4 representatives have said monthly reimbursement for the program is roughly $23,000.

Since QuEST's announcement, Yuba-Sutter officials have been working to find a provider to continue service at the congregate sites as well as delivered meals to frail and homebound seniors.

Mom's Meals, an agency out of Iowa, was awarded a contract to provide meals to 120 homebound seniors in August.

At the congregate sites, the Yuba City Unified and Marysville Joint Unified school districts and Fremont-Rideout Health Group began serving food in Yuba City, Marysville, Brownsville and Wheatland on Sept. 6.

This is a unique situation, Roberts said, because the Action Agency normally combines home-delivered and congregate meals, but Yuba-Sutter only needs food for the senior center sites.

"It's like breaking up a puzzle," Roberts said. "They take the same food to both."

Roberts said the congregate meals will be cooked and transported from the organization's central kitchen in Paradise.

Yuba County Supervisor John Nicoletti said the meal issue sheds light on the growing senior population and the lack of services for them.

As for meals, though, Nicoletti said he is excited to have them back on track.

"We're back to working with folks that specialize in senior meal services," he said. "But we realize this issue is bigger than we originally thought."

Contact Appeal reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appeal-democrat.com