WINNSBORO – Last spring, the FCCOA (Fairfield County Council on Aging) requested a FY2024-25 budget allocation from the county of $226,000 to cover operating costs for the agency through June 2025, with $84,000 of that amount designated to provide weekend meals for seniors. But the county only budgeted a total of $84,572 for the agency for the fiscal year (July 2, 2024 – June 30, 2025).
“Our funds are exhausted,” FCCOA Executive Director Angi Connor told council members Monday night during public comment session at the Jan. 12 council meeting.
Connor said the county previously budgeted about $93,000 for the agency, but that was cut to $84,000 about four years ago and has remained at that level while the agency’s costs have accelerated.
“State and federal dollars are used to provide ‘Meals on Wheels’ Monday thru Friday, but these moneys can’t be used to fund the weekend meals,” Connor said. “We have worked hard to make ends meet. We’ve obtained grants, had fundraisers, participated in online campaigns …we’ve done everything we can to find funding to keep providing these seniors meals over the weekends when we are closed. With a few ‘saved by the bell’ means, we’ve managed to keep the program going.”
Last week, however, Connor had to send letters to 147 seniors, letting them know that Jan. 17 will be their last time to receive weekend meals during this fiscal year.
Councilwoman Peggy Swearingen, the Fairfield County Council’s liaison on the agency’s board, told The Voice she made a last ditch plea to Interim Administrator Clay Killian for funding but was told the county doesn’t have the funds.
“He said council would have to make that decision,” Swearingen said. The issue did not appear on Monday night’s agenda.
“I know of no effort at the moment,” County Administrator Clay Killian told The Voice. “Council would have to amend the budget through an ordinance, and the first chance to start that process would be on January 27.”
Connor said FCCOA needs approximately $66,000 to provide weekend meals to 147 seniors through the end of June.
“If we pare that down to the neediest of the needy, we have 76 seniors who are the most vulnerable. To feed those 76, we need $33,000,” Connor said.
Connor said two individuals in the county, former County Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas and Bill McMaster, after hearing of FCCOA’s plight, have each donated $10,000, and another individual donated $2,500 for a total of $22,500.
“We are so thankful to these individuals,” Conner said. “Still, we need almost $11,000 more to make these weekend meals happen for all 76 of our most needy seniors.”
For information or to make a donation, contact Connor, at 803.635.3015 (office) or email [email protected]
