This grant through Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) helps make possible the City's Nutrition Site Program offered through the Parks/Recreation/Tourism Department's Senior Adult Services Division. The Program is offered to area seniors, 60 years of age and over and their spouses, as well as disabled individuals, 18 years and over. Lunches are offered at the Palmer Recreation Center, Monday through Friday. Home delivered meals are available to those individuals that are homebound and meet program guidelines.
In previous years, the City has applied for and received grant funding annually from MARC for operating expenses associated with salaries for personnel to operate the Nutrition Site. In March 2022, the Parks/Recreation/Tourism Department staff submitted a Request for Proposal response to MARC for The Palmer Center. Following review by the Board of Directors of MARC, the City was selected to provide Community Center Services for up to $33,000 in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 for administering the program. This amount was included in the adopted current fiscal year budget.
The proposed Ordinance also includes appropriations of up to $96,000 for Senior Adult Services, designated as follows: up to $20,000 for transportation, up to $6,000 for assessments and re-assessments, up to $60,000 for Frozen Home Delivered Meals and up to $10,000 for evidenced-based programming.