Recent federal budget proposal reports have people worried about Meals on Wheels deliveries, but local programs would not be affected.

Some people have argued that a proposed 3 percent cut to the program could be disastrous. Others have heralded the move as a means to encourage more local charitable action and less federal government involvement.The fact is that there are a lot of misconceptions about Meals on Wheels, which have led to misinterpretations about funding cuts all around.“That 3 percent is actually for Meals on Wheels America,” Monroe County Meals on Wheels executive director Heidi Fareri said, referencing the central organization.“That doesn’t affect our ability to deliver meals. I’m finding that people don’t understand how Meals on Wheels works — each one is an independent nonprofit organization.”Some Meals on Wheels may get funding from federal government grant programs, but there is no standard across the board, since each organization is set up to address the needs and resources of their local community.“If you’ve seen one Meals on Wheels organization, you’ve seen one Meals on Wheels organization,” Fareri said, echoing a popular saying for the organizations.For the 5,000 organizations across the country, about 35 percent of their funding comes from the federal government, sourced from the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.While some Meals on Wheels may derive half of their operating costs from federal grants, others, like Meals on Wheels of Palmerton, take nothing.“Actually, we get no funds from the federal government,” Meals on Wheels of Palmerton President Bill Gallagher said. “We get no funds from any government organization at all. We survive on donations from local companies like Horsehead Industries, Pencor, there’s a couple foundations in the area. We solicit from individuals in Palmerton that will donate to us. I just wrote out 10 letters today to various companies, asking them to consider donating to us. That’s how we survive.”Gallagher said that the Palmerton group, which has been operating for over 44 years, charges $35 a week for three meals a day over five days. That money goes directly to Palmerton Hospital, where the meals are prepared, to cover costs. Donations are used to handle administrative costs, including insurance and a part-time administrator’s salary. None of the delivery drivers are compensated, they simply volunteer out of the kindness of their own hearts, Gallagher said.Such autonomy and self-reliance is a key element of Meals on Wheels programs, according to Fareri.“Meals on Wheels programs always rely on donations,” Fareri said. “If you want to make sure that the money that you donate stays in your community, donate to your local Meals on Wheels.”Gallagher said the Palmerton group prefers to stay out of federal funding due to the potential for government interference.“We’re just a little group here for Palmerton,” he said. “We don’t ask for any money from the government. God forbid, we should get government funding and all of the sudden we would start being regulated by the government. We’re able to survive based on the generosity of local people and local companies. Once you get into federal funds, you get into federal regulations. It’s a can of worms you don’t want to deal with.”Some elements of the proposed budget may still put some Meals on Wheels programs in a tight spot. A proposed 17.9 percent cut for the Department of Health and Human Services could put funding at risk. The elimination of the Community Services Block Grant and the Community Development Block Grant, which some states use to augment funding for local Meals on Wheels programs, could result in difficulties.Without a finalized budget, the impact upon Meals on Wheels programs is anybody’s guess, but it’s not necessarily a reason to panic just yet.“This budget is just a suggestion,” Fareri said. “I’m not prepared to be panicked over a suggestion. It’s too speculative to say that the proposed budget will have an effect on us at this time.”