MANCHESTER, Ky. — The Clay County Senior Citizens Center is sounding the alarm after the Kentucky Department for Aging informed agencies that home-delivered meal funding is being slashed by 60% immediately, forcing drastic cuts to services for some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.
For more than a year, senior centers across Kentucky were directed by the state and Cumberland Valley Area Development District (CVADD) to clear waiting lists and provide meals to every eligible senior, with assurances that funding would follow. Clay County’s program, which began with 47 meals per day, grew to serve as many as 148 daily meals this summer after hundreds of new clients were added.
Now, with federal COVID-19 funding expiring and state dollars reduced, the center has been told to return to its previous budget levels. Effective immediately, the number of meals will be reduced to around 20 per day, and the home-delivered meal program has been scaled back to three days a week.
“The state told us to feed anyone who needed a meal — and we did,” said Carmen Webb Roberts, longtime Director of the Clay County Senior Citizens Center. “Now they’ve pulled the funding, and we’re left having to cut services to people who depend on us for their daily meals. It’s heartbreaking.”
Policy Changes Behind the Cuts
In a May 2024 letter, CVADD told agencies that DAIL expected waiting lists to be cleared and promised to seek additional providers to meet the increased demand. But a September 2025 memorandum from the Department for Aging and Independent Living revealed that federal pandemic relief dollars expired on September 30, and future funding will be lower. Agencies were instructed to prioritize those with the highest nutritional need and reduce costs by tightening meal programs, including possibly eliminating drive-thru and emergency meals.
Community and Local Efforts
In response, 1 Clay County stepped in this week with a financial contribution to support meals for up to 75 seniors three meals per week for approximately 10 weeks, providing not just food, but also connection, care, and community.
Local churches and individual residents have also stepped up, with several sponsoring meals for seniors and donating funds to sustain the program. These contributions, combined with the Center’s own fundraising efforts, are providing a critical lifeline.
The Senior Citizens Center has launched a variety of fundraisers to help fill the gap, including canning and baking projects, yard sales, and food booths at local festivals. These community-led efforts are aimed at keeping as many seniors as possible fed for as long as funding allows.
“Our center will not close,” Roberts emphasized. “We are committed to serving as many senior clients as we can possibly afford. We have decreased to three meals per week and have moved some clients from home-delivered to congregate meals. We will continue fundraising and accepting donations in hopes of continuing to feed the most needy in our community for as long as these monies will allow. After all… the elderly of today will be us tomorrow.”
It costs approximately $100 per month to feed one senior, and the Center is encouraging individuals, businesses, churches, and civic groups to consider sponsoring a senior’s monthly meals or contributing to general operations.
How Residents Can Help
The Senior Citizens Center is calling on residents to contact state and federal officials to voice their concerns about the cuts. They’ve provided the following numbers for citizens to call:
Community members can also contact the Clay County Senior Citizens Center for help making these calls.
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” the emergency letter reads. “This is a way you can help keep your meal and the other hundreds of meals we serve each week going.”
Where to Donate
Donations can be made directly to the Clay County Senior Citizens Center, located at 144 Old Timers Road, Manchester, KY 40962. Every dollar stays local to support meal services for Clay County’s elderly.
“If this was your parent, grandparent, or family member, what would you do to make sure they had the care they need?” Roberts said.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here