Amy and George Hsu regularly enjoy affordable lunches at Sunnyvale United Methodist Church, where they connect with peers and receive healthy meals. Across Santa Clara County, 37 senior nutrition programs serve over 16,000 older adults, yet their $12 million budget is insufficient to meet increasing demand. These programs are crucial for seniors on fixed incomes who struggle to secure nutritious food and combat loneliness. Notably, many programs, including Sunnyvale, exceed their allocated meal budgets, serving more meals daily than funded, illustrating the ongoing financial instability they face.
"Every morning, first thing ... 'Oh, we have lunch. We have to go,' said George Hsu. 'So it moves you forward.'"
"The county's roughly $12 million budget for the programs can't keep up with rising demand, even with hundreds of thousands of dollars in reimbursements for extra meals."
"The Sunnyvale program the Hsus attend overserves meals outside its county-allocated budget... volunteers dish out 150 to 170 meals Monday through Friday."
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