San Francisco's Meals on Wheels program faces uncertainty over Trump funding freeze
The Brief
The federal funding freeze would impact grants, loans, and aid. Nonprofit groups that receive federal dollars would be among those affected.
The San Francisco chapter of Meals on Wheels said the funding freeze would cut $3 million from their program.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze minutes before it was scheduled to take effect.
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives.
What we know
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the funding freeze only minutes before it was scheduled to take effect. The administrative stay, prompted by a lawsuit brought by nonprofit groups that receive federal money, lasts until Monday afternoon. Another court hearing is scheduled that morning to consider the issue.
If the $3 trillion freeze goes through, it will impact federal grants, loans, and some aid. Federal assistance to people, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits, student loans, and scholarships, would not be affected, according to the White House. However, several states reported that their Medicaid portals were down on Tuesday.
Local perspective
When the Office of Management and Budget first announced the pause, it caused panic and confusion for millions, including Bay Area nonprofits such as the San Francisco Meals on Wheels program.
Bill Redican, who was forced into retirement by a stroke, is able to live on his own, thanks in part to Meals on Wheels. Even though he is better off physically than many other clients, cooking is out of the question.
"I really trust the food. It's very well-balanced and well proportioned," Redican said.
Meals on Wheels helps enable millions of American seniors to stay at home.
RELATED: Thousands of meals delivered to Bay Area seniors with limited mobility, funds
"With someone with less ability, it's unthinkable that they can manage on their own," said Redican.
The nonprofit's chapters across the nation serve 2.2 million mostly homebound seniors per year.
The federal freeze would eliminate 37% of its yearly budget, just over $1 billion of its funding, which comes from the Federal Older Americans Act. For the San Francisco chapter, that amounts to a $3 million cut.
What they're saying
"It's an incredibly challenging thing to happen totally out of the blue, quite literally overnight. We're the only people that they might see in a day, maybe the only food that they eat in a day," said San Francisco Meals on Wheels CEO Jennifer Steele.
Meals on Wheels is a true lifeline, she said.
"Our drivers go in, and they're delivering the meal, they're making sure that the senior is OK, that the home seems safe, that there are no emergency issues, and they're also providing some companionship and keeping connection," said Steele.
Redican shared how Meals on Wheels staff helped him when he fell at his home.
"My feet got mixed up, and I fell over on the ground, and I was there for quite a while and Meals on Wheels came," said Redican.
Meals on Wheels head chef Richard Crocker, who used to be a chef at San Francisco's chic Boulevard Restaurant, found a new purpose in life.
"Everybody deserves a meal and to make sure that that meal is good as can be. It really is our effort here and that is really rewarding," Crocker said.
Philip Duarte, who used to be a Wells Fargo regional director, retired to rise through the ranks of Meals on Wheels, where his mom once volunteered.
"I thought it was a great passion mission that brought me here, and I just wanted to wake up every morning and feel like I had added some value," Duarte said.
This battle is only beginning.
"Lincoln said with malice toward none and charity toward all. And, we're forgetting that," Redican said from his wheelchair.
The Source
Information for the report comes from interviews with staff and officials at San Francisco Meals on Wheels, as well as earlier reporting, including from The Associated Press.
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