Like many others, Lisa Ealley is noticing the rising cost of eggs, among other things. She’s chair of Meals on Wheels in College Park, and as the cost of groceries rise, the organization is simultaneously bracing for tariffs to increase costs further and for a federal funding freeze and impending cuts to their budget, about a third of which comes from the federal government via various grants. “No one seems to understand the trickle-down effect. We’ve been aware of this the last six months, and now it’s come to fruition,” says Ealley of the federal cuts and policies.
Meals on Wheels of College Park is the only remaining Meals on Wheels program in Prince George’s County – one in Hyattsville closed due to lack of financing and one in Cheverly, operating from Prince George’s County Hospital, closed when the hospital did. The College Park program feeds about 200 people a day, including many Greenbelters – Ealley estimates around 60.
The program relies heavily on federal funds received through county grants, from which they were told last week to anticipate less. County councilmembers who allocate funding to various programs and businesses in their districts will not be receiving the amount of funds to distribute that they have in the past, they’re told. They’re not sure what to expect as they submit their usual applications for funding over the next couple of weeks.
Meals on Wheels also serves a lot of the Greenbelt community with funding from CARES, Ealley told the News Review. They also receive donations from community members, but those are intermittent and difficult to rely on, especially as people in the community face unemployment, Ealley notes. CARES has just signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Meals on Wheels to continue funds for meals for the next 18 months, said Director Liz Park. They’ll still be utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which the city has been able to reallocate, says Park. When the first round of ARPA money was set to run out, Ealley said Greenbelt participants were polled to see if they could or would pay the $6 a day themselves and the vast majority said they would choose not to.
Meals on Wheels’ secretary Maria Newsom worries that if federal funding is frozen and their revenues dry up, seniors forced to self-pay the $6 a day for three meals will begin to cut back, so that some who received meals three to four times a week might get them only twice. They’ve known recipients try to stretch their food for more days to make it last longer, perhaps relying more on relatives or other food or eating less. Currently, only about five Greenbelt residents self-pay.
Most recipients are 60 years of age or older but “we just can’t turn our back on anyone,” says Ealley. So, occasionally they serve folks who are younger. They’ve helped a pregnant woman with cerebral palsy who couldn’t get out to get food for the duration of her pregnancy, for example. They also serve a married couple with health concerns, caring for an adult child with disabilities while one spouse has Alzheimer’s. Meals on Wheels brings food to the couple and their son, who is part of the household. Some recipients also share the food they receive with their pets, whom they may struggle to afford but whose companionship is important to them.
While those who can pay are charged $6 a day for three meals, the real cost of the daily meals is about $25 to $30, depending on what is being served, says Ealley. But amid fears about funding, those costs are rising. “There’s no question about it,” she says. The eggs she usually orders were no longer available this week. She had to go to another distributor and the cost was higher. The big impact is going to come in the next few weeks, she believes, particularly when tariffs kick in. “We rely on other countries for products,” says Ealley. They get fruits and vegetables from Mexico, for example.
“We’ll have to make some hard decisions,” she says, “whether to cut down and only give two meals a day or whether to take a look at who will be most severely impacted [and serve fewer people]. We’ve already cut down.” They used to be able to give people a snack in addition to their three meals and they used to serve a slice of bread, too. One of their biggest expenses is a low-sugar juice and some of their recipients need Ensure – a product whose cost has doubled in the last four years, says Ealley.
They’ve been creative about funding in the past, launching a Sponsor a Senior campaign, for example. They also receive a donation of 50 sandwiches each week from a College Park restaurant and would welcome donations from other area restaurants. Individuals can donate on their website. They’re actively looking for volunteers, some of whom they’ve lost as they had to return to work in person. They’re looking for a grant writer, too. “Whatever people can do for us would be greatly appreciated,” said Ealley. Meals on Wheels of College Park is now in its 51st year. “We’ve been here 50 years and hope to continue many more,” Ealley told the News Review.
