Some seniors could go hungry this January as a popular meal delivery service will be coming to an end across many parts of Greater Victoria.
The United Way Southern Vancouver Island (UWSVI) is cutting funding for the More Than Meals program, saying it's not financially sustainable.
“I'm devastated,” said Ted Ross, 81, who along with his wife has been benefiting from James Bay New Horizons (JBNH) distribution of the More Than Meals program since April 2022. JBNH will deliver their last meals to seniors on Dec. 18.
Ross uses a walker, and without the service will have to go back to cooking on his own meals, which he says will be a challenge. “I haven’t been cooking since two-and-a-half years ago when I was in the hospital. I’m so out of practice.”
More Than Meals aimed to provide nourishment and socialization to seniors through the delivery of three meals a week to their homes. It functioned on a sliding fee scale which helped to make it accessible. Since learning the program would end this year, Ross has been searching for alternative meal programs but says they’re much more expensive than what he previously paid, leaving him with few options.
It's not just Ross who leans on food resources, according to the UWSVI’s annual report: throughout B.C., there has been a 78 per cent increase in the use of food banks among seniors in the past five years.
It won't just be the food that he’ll miss either, it's the company. “It's called More Than Meals because you get to chat with the person that’s bringing them,” said Ross. “The human contact, the social contact that's the ‘more’ part of More Than Meals.”
This social aspect is a critical part of the program. Social isolation and loneliness have often been linked to higher risks of various conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, depression, and cognitive decline.
“How many seniors are going into hospital because they're malnourished or dehydrated?” said Kim Dixon, the executive director at JBNH.
“I’m sure that a majority of the seniors that are going into the hospital presenting as being delirious or having dementia, a lot of that is due to malnutrition. So, take care of them now or take care of them later, but somehow, we’re still going to have to contribute to their well-being.”
More Than Meals began during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the needs of seniors facing increased isolation and food insecurity by distributing three meals to clients once a week. The program functioned on a ‘hub-and-spoke model’ with Beacon Community Services (BCS) as the central hub for the service, distributing meals in Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula. BCS also administered UWSVIs funding to contracted organizations JBNH, Oak Bay Volunteer Services, Saanich Volunteer Services and Pacific Centre Family Services Association to help distribute meals throughout Greater Victoria.
Originally, JBNH and the other contractors served 175 seniors, but over the years as their funding dwindled, their clientele had to be reduced. Today, they are serving 135 seniors. Dixon said they receive calls almost every day asking about the service. “We know the need is there, unfortunately the funding isn't.”
While UWSVI is disappointed to halt its funding, they say it would no longer be in the best interest of their donors.
“We gave $250,000 for the 2024 fiscal year and midway through the year, they told us that they had already exhausted that,” said Erik Lambertson, UWSVI director of marketing and communications. UWSVI did provide an emergency $35,000 and arranged for a special food grant of $27,000 from United Way British Columbia to keep the service running until Dec. 31, 2024.
Beacon Community Services CEO Tricia Gueulette says the reason the funding was exhausted so quickly was due to the growing demand.
“The need has been so great. So, we’ve managed to keep it going and will continue to keep it going for as long as we can. But the need far outstripped what was available to us,” said Gueulette, citing rising costs for making the program so expensive.
BCS has committed to continuing to fund the program out of pocket until at least the end of January, while they search for new funding and consider how to keep the program going. However, they will no longer be able to fund the other agencies that distribute meals.
“Our board has decided to spend Beacon's money to keep it going, they don't want to see our seniors without,” said Gueulette. “Beacon does not want to leave anyone in the lurch.”
Dixon says for JBNH to continue the program for just 75 seniors, it would cost between $150,000 and $175,000. JBNH and their partners will continue to look for new funding but aren’t sure they will get it. “In this day and age, I really don’t know,” said Dixon, explaining that most grants available to her only provide $20,000 - $25,000.
In the meantime, many seniors will be without the meals they’ve been relying on.
“I rely on this service for a variety of food,” said Tom Kershaw, 76, who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been receiving meals from JBNH. Kershaw uses an oxygen tank and struggles to move on his own. He employs the help of caretakers and cooking at home is not an option for him. “Without these people, I'll be lost. I'll lose weight. I need this service; I really need it.”
