SAVANNAH, Ga. – A local organization is in a race against time to maintain vital meal services for seniors after a halt in federal funding.

The ongoing federal shutdown poses a significant threat to Meals on Wheels programs nationwide, including those in coastal Georgia. Patti Lyons, who leads Senior Citizens Inc., expressed growing concerns as the cessation of SNAP benefits looms, creating what she describes as a potentially catastrophic situation for seniors dependent on these programs for their food needs.

“We’re working closely with hospitals,” Lyons noted. “They are aware of what’s approaching. If a resolution isn’t reached soon, seniors could find themselves hospitalized.”

For 65 years, Senior Citizens Inc. has been a cornerstone of the Savannah community, supporting 10,000 older adults across coastal Georgia and providing meals to more than 1,600 seniors daily.

“This is the first time the government has indicated uncertainty about reimbursement,” Lyons stated. “Previously, we would use our savings, confident that a resolution would come and we’d be reimbursed. Now, we face the real possibility that we might not recover those funds.”

The Meals on Wheels initiative, crucially funded by the Older Americans Act, is described by Lyons as the foundation of keeping seniors safe and independent in their homes. However, this critical funding is currently in limbo.

“And it’s truly one of the most difficult decisions that we’ve ever had to make as an organization,” Lyons said. “We’ve gone through and looked at our clients and done a triage of, you know, who are the people that we are providing their only food during the day? Who are the people that depend on us for having conversation?”

The concerns are growing as SNAP benefits, a separate food assistance program, are also set to freeze Nov. 1.

“You’ve got a whole different group there called Seniors SNAP,” Lyons said. “Those are the folks that we’re serving that they’re getting $10 a day. But that $10 is crucial for them.”

Lyons said her team is working with community partners like America’s Second Harvest to fill the gap as they already struggle to meet demand.

“We have a waiting list,” Lyons said. “Even with all those meals that we’re producing every day, we have a waiting list of older adults who we know need the food, but we do not have the support to be able to feed them. So, we already have a dire situation. But to lose truly our biggest federal source of funding is going to be catastrophic.”

She added, “That to me is one of the worst parts, is that they’re scared and they shouldn’t be scared.”

Lyons said the organization is relying on savings to keep delivering meals for now. But if the federal shutdown continues, Meals on Wheels funding could run out as early as November.