STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Jovita Pina has been watching the news out of the Idaho legislature with more than passing interest this year. Gov. Brad Little’s budget proposal for the fiscal year 2027 called for the elimination of Medicaid funding for home and community-based services.

That, she said, would directly impact Meals on Wheels and the in-home care the Senior Connection provides

The state currently reimburses Meals on Wheels providers $6.78 per meal, and that’s down from $7.06 after a 3 percent cut last year.

Never mind that food prices have risen sharply as have gas prices and insurance to drive the meals as far south as Carey and as far north as Hulen Meadows north of Ketchum.

“We do have Medicaid clients so if there’s a reduction in funding it will impact those,” said Pina, the executive director of The Senior Connection. “Luckily, our program is funded mostly through private donations.

“Right now, we don’t say, ‘No,’ to anyone.”

The Senior Connection provides Meals on Wheels four days a week to as many as 85 seniors who can’t leave their homes and who often can’t cook for themselves. It’s not just about the meals. The volunteers who deliver the meals provide a safety check every time they hand off a meal, and they often take the time to chat, providing much needed social interaction with the recipients.

Sometimes, they’re able to leave the recipients with a little extra food to get them through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday--the days that meals are not delivered.

The meals are the same as those served to those who dine in at The Senior Connection\, and range from lasagna to chicken marsala to brisket.

The Senior Connection delivered 200 meals during the height of the pandemic, Pina said. That number dropped off as people felt comfortable to return to dining in. Now, the dining room averages 60 diners a day, although The Senior Connection can serve as many as a hundred when popular meals like pan seared trout are being served.

“Raw food, such as fresh produce and beef, is the biggest expense and we can’t control that. It cost $150,000 just for Meals on Wheels this past year,” said Pina. “It cost $300,000 for Meals on Wheels plus the dine-in option. But we don’t want to lower the quality of food.”

The last couple of years the Senior Connection has held a Sock Hop Connection for a Cause fundraiser. This year it will have a sit-down dinner at Sage School Barn on May 30 to raise funds.

Right now, it is seeking donations as part of the nationwide March for Meals held every March.

Those who wish to donate can go to https://seniorconnectionidaho.org/ways-to-give. Or, call 208-595-1903.