Resources:
Lee Van Roth's Feature Article: Ypsi senior services organizations face rising demand and federal funding cuts while awaiting new millage funds
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels (YMOW)
Washtenaw County Older Persons Millage
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels has long been a lifeline for local seniors providing not only healthy meals, but also connection, safety, and support at a time when many older adults are facing rising needs and growing uncertainty around federal and county funding. Through volunteers and community partnerships, the organization continues to meet critical challenges while planning for an unpredictable future. Today, I'm here with Barbara Niess-May, the president of Ypsi Meals on Wheels, to talk about how her team is navigating these current challenges, what resources are most needed right now, and what role community members can play in supporting their older neighbors. Hi, Barbara! Thanks so much for joining me today!
Barbara Niess-May: Thank you! I have to say that this is such a critical time for the folks that we're in front of and the folks who need our support. So, thank you for making the time to talk to us today!
Lee Van Roth: You know, obviously, Ypsi Meals on Wheels is playing this really large role in supporting our community seniors through providing these meals to folks that don't have the ability or the support to get to the grocery store, for example. But can you give us a sense of how this work goes even further beyond just someone--a volunteer--dropping off a meal on someone's doorstep?
Barbara Niess-May: Yeah, absolutely! So, let's just start with our service area, which is basically just outside of Superior Township to the northern part of Augusta Township. We're in Pittsfield Township, Ypsi Township, Ypsilanti, and Superior Township for the most part. And what we have learned about our service population is that approximately 85% live at or below the poverty level. We also are supporting people who have family members that are often working several jobs, managing families and things like that. We did take a little peek at our potential service size, meaning that if we were to take everybody in our service area and assess whether or not they would be eligible for our services and need our services, not just eligibility, but need it. And that number got to about 1,600 to 1,700. So, we're serving about 25%. And that's purely the reason why we're not serving the whole corpus is just resources. And we just don't have the funding to do that. I'm going to start with our Home Delivered Meal Program, which is probably what we're best known for. And that is where we provide meals to people who are medically homebound. If you were to be just getting in a car with me on a regular route, we have paid drivers that do regular routes, which are up to 30 households, we receive the food for a low, low cost from University of Michigan Commissary. And so, we get a hot meal, which I think, today, is turkey meatballs and rice and broccoli.
Lee Van Roth: That sounds good!
Barbara Niess-May: Yeah, I know, right? It does sound good! And also with a little side salad and a little bit of fruit. And then, we also have a lunch bag, I call it a lunch bag, but a whole bag that I think today is turkey and cheddar on a whole wheat with a piece of fruit, some nuts or raisins, I think, and a milk if they're not lactose intolerant. And so, our drivers actually right now are getting ready to pack up their vans to get ready to go. So, we go and pick it up from University of Michigan. And what's so great about it is that is the cost is well. And also, they organize it, so that when we bring it back to our very modest offices, they're out the parking lot, sorting the coolers to keep things temperature controlled for cold and hot. And then, they go out on their respective routes. And we have seven routes that go out with drivers every day. And in the meantime, our volunteer coordinator is packing the routes for our volunteers. And we had nine volunteer routes, and they could be anywhere from five to 12 individuals. And so, that happens every day, midday. And the folks leave at 9:00 to go pick up the food. They get back between 10 and 10:30. After 10:30, things are starting to get packed up. And then by 11, the drivers are heading out. And then, the volunteers usually go out between 11 and 1. So, it is a massive logistical operation that goes incredibly smoothly every single day. And most of our clients can count on a 15-minute window that they're going to be receiving the food and having a visit. We have found, actually, with this nicer weather, that folks are wanting to chat more, which is great. And we're making time for that. So, there's that home-delivered meal piece. And then, in addition to that, we have what we call a pantry. And the pantry has lots of different items that are either donated or given to us. We actually have an Amazon wish list if anybody wants to send us things to compliment our pantry. And if someone mentions that they need something, like maybe they need an incontinence supplies or some cleaning supplies or something like that. If they tell their driver, like, say, today, it'll probably be on the van tomorrow. So, we offer a little delivery service of some basic household needs, which is, I think, incredible, too. In addition to that, of course, we're doing a wellness check. We're just checking up on people. And if we see something that's off or if they mentioned something, we will be in touch with their support person on record, just to let them know that this is something that we've learned and if they want to do anything further related to that. So, that's kind of the entirety of the home delivery meal piece. The second piece that we offer is, what we call, "safe at home." And a lot of the folks that we serve are aging in place and, quite frankly, not necessarily out of their own choice that they may have a place that's affordable, and that's just where they're at. And whether they rent or own, moving is often not an option into a space that is safer for them. And so, we have a consultative occupational therapist on staff. And what she does is she goes out and assesses, and reassesses as needed, weighs durable medical equipment, things like grab bars, toilet lifts, shower bars, assistive devices in the kitchen that can assist them to age in place in that place. And actually, as I'm sitting here explaining all this to you, I'm thinking, "How are we even doing all this on our little tiny budget?" And we operate out of two rooms in a church.
Lee Van Roth: Well, and that's something that I was curious about, too, was the funding side of things. You know, as we're looking at the national concern and changes happening to programs like Social Security and SNAP, as well as locally at the local level, the county senior millage, which was passed, but is currently on a pause. So, I'm curious about how are you meeting a potentially increased demand on even less of a budget, as well as how can folks continue to support this very extensive work that you're doing?
Barbara Niess-May: You know, I don't hold us out as special because everybody is facing this uncertainty. We have communicated quite a bit with our congressional representatives and our state representatives, and we're being cautioned that, even though we are technically in the federal budget, we could experience a significant delay or loss of funding. For example, we usually have a signed contract by now, and we don't have that. And so, that is, I hate to say the word "alarming," because one thing that we're trying not to be is alarmist about this. We have structured ourselves, so that if we have one of our clients listening to this radio interview right now, that we are able to say, "We are still going to deliver meals." And then the rest of it, we fundraise. We have to fundraise like $1.5, 1.6 million a year.
Lee Van Roth: And that's really how the community kind of gets folded into this conversation as well, right?
Barbara Niess-May: Yeah, yeah. I mean, every $25, every $50, every like, "Oh, wow! I have a little bit of a windfall I want to give it away," people designate IRA minimum distributions, I mean, just however we can do it or if you're part of a family foundation. The bottom line is is when money comes to us, it is going directly back out into the community. We run on a pretty lean budget. I still can't believe we do what we do on what we have, and this is how the community can help. We also need volunteers. We need donations to our pantry, and all of this is outlined on our website. And if anybody wants to learn about how to support us, there's ways of doing that and reach out to us because you may have an idea we hadn't thought of. And we would be happy to talk to you about that!
Lee Van Roth: This is WEMU's On the Ground Ypsi. I'm talking with Barbara Niess-May, President of Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. Barbara, I just wanted to say thank you so much for joining me here today! It is honestly really inspiring to hear not just the extent of the work that Meals On Wheels does for our community and the surrounding communities, but the really strong connection that every community member seems to have this strong level of support that the community has for all of this work.
Barbara Niess-May: Thank you very much for letting me share today! And it's because of people like you that we're able to get the word out in ways that people can understand how our neighbors are affected.
Lee Van Roth: For more information on today's topic and links to the full article, visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti. Celebrating 60 years of broadcasting at Eastern Michigan University!
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