By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
At the Great Bend City Council work session earlier this month, Eldercare Executive Director Brandi Gruber said Eldercare helps the Great Bend Senior Center with the cooking costs for Meals on Wheels but did not foresee federal grants to assist in the future.
"It's going to put more pressure on the Senior Center to have that kitchen and cooks to be able to continue all of the meals in the community," said Gruber. "My gut tells me we won't be getting the amount of funding needed. I think the state is trying to pick up what the federal was giving us for the meal programs, but I do not see that to continue."
Gruber said the Senior Center served approximately 47,000 meals last year, with 22,000 part of the Meals on Wheels program. Gruber noted it costs roughly $9 per meal. Eldercare and the Senior Center receive $3 in federal and state funding per meal and there is a suggested donation of $3.50, but the organizations receive less than $2 per meal on donations.
"Barton's Meals on Wheels has come a long ways from where we were last year," said Gruber. "You have to have donations and community buy-in for the places to work. We've shut a few of them down over the last few years that just didn't have that. We've been blessed here so far, but if that funding goes it'll be a whole different conversation."
The Senior Center requested $309,195 from the City of Great Bend for the 2026 budget after receiving $235,793 this year.