17-04-2025
Bamberg County seniors at risk as Meals on Wheels faces major funding crisis
BAMBERG COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) — A funding crisis could leave Bamberg County seniors hungry and alone as The Meals on Wheels program is nearly out of money.
'This money, it is getting less and less each and every year,' Executive Director Kay Cleary. 'And we are already told that next year's going to be cut a little more. and I don't see how they can do this. So many of these seniors need this meal.
County leaders say The Lower Savannah Area Agency on Aging faces a $2.3 million cut this Meals on Wheels Program in Bamberg County is low on funds. By February, Bamberg County had already spent nearly 90% of its meal budget. They were told more money was coming. So, they added more seniors. By October, the funding fell through. Now, they're serving more people than they're paid to. 'Some have made choices not to serve, but thank goodness we have saved some and we do get money from some churches in the county and we decided of course we would fulfill that,' she said.
The group serves 150 home-delivered meals a day. Another 50 are served at the center. Right now, 75 to 85 people are on the waiting list. 'Sometimes they can't even take the trash to the curb, so we have to help them with that,' Site Manager Cady Stack added. 'They like to have people talk to 'em. They don't have anybody come by. So sometimes our face is the only face they see all day.'
The County Council adopted a resolution asking state leaders to step in and secure emergency funding. 'I've met wonderful people here,' Ella Breland. 'Some that , I knew before coming and quite a few after I came here. And I really enjoy talking and just communicating with people every day and when I don't come I miss my friends. I love all of them.'
'It's a wonderful program and good thing about this program is that a lot of the members that receive those lunch it's probably mostly special meal that they would really receive and it's a nutritious meal,' Samella Porter added.
Bamberg County Councilwoman Sharon Hammond tells me letters, and a resolution went to state offices and lawmakers about the concerns. She's now waiting to hear back.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
