BBQ for a cause

Carolyn McLaren was all smiles as visitors came through the door of the Lampo Community Building in Neosho Thursday evening, depositing a donation for the Area Agency on Aging during a barbecue fundraiser sponsored by Missouri Sen. Gary Nodler.

McLaren is the executive director of the region’s Area Agency on Aging, and the money raised during Thursday’s event couldn’t come at a better time for her organization.

The Area Agency on Aging provides several services for the region’s senior citizen community, including the Meals on Wheels program. McLaren said from July 2009 to June 2010, approximately 174,500 meals were delivered by this region’s Area Agency on Aging.

The organization provided approximately 287,000 meals during that same timeframe, with that number including the number of meals that are provided at local senior citizen centers.

McLaren said the cost to provide each meal is roughly $8.42. The Area Agency on Aging asks that senior citizens provide a $3 donation for each meal, but it is not a requirement. She said, on average, the agency receives a 90-cent donation for each meal.

In March 2010, the local Area Agency on Aging had its budget cut by the state government $41,000, and just a few weeks ago, the agency received another funding cut of $51,000.

McLaren said Nodler contacted her about holding a fundraiser for the Area Agency on Aging — instead of his own campaign. Nodler is one of eight Republican candidates running for the 7th District seat of the U.S. Congress currently held by Congressman Roy Blunt, who is one of nine Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Christopher Bond, who is not running for re-election.

“We were thrilled,” McLaren said. “Anytime anyone wants to do a fundraiser for our program, we are really pleased. (Nodler) made these arrangements and here we are. We are very excited about it.”

Nodler said his campaign would be hosting two benefit barbecues for two regional Area Agencies on Aging. On July 8, his campaign will be hosting a similar event in Ozark, Mo.

“When I thought about the amount of money we could potentially raise with the events, it seemed to me that it would be more significant for this program than it would for our campaign,” Nodler said. “We wanted to make the most use of the opportunity that we could. I hope it will do some good for them. Their budget has been rather dramatically reduced, and a lot of people in Southwest Missouri depend on the home-delivered meals program for nutrition. I am not a big government advocate, so when a government retreats because of budget challenges, then I like to encourage people to step up to the plate and volunteer to make up the difference. Hopefully, that is what will happen here.”

Thursday’s event raised $1,523, according to McLaren.

In March, the state government cut the Area Agency of Aging’s statewide budget by $1.1 million. Recently, the state legislature cut the agency’s statewide budget again by another $1.4 million. McLaren said in her local agency’s budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, they are looking at a total budget cut of approximately $105,000.

“At then at any time, the governor can do a withhold of funds if the state doesn’t have the money,” she said. “We could have more cuts during the year, which is concerning.”

If more cuts do come down from Jefferson City, McLaren said her agency will have to review at what level it can continue to provide services — which means it may have to look at forming a waiting list for homebound meals.

“And we don’t want to have to do that,” she said.  “I hope to never have to call one of our senior citizens and tell them that we can’t serve them anymore. I can see that we might end up having to start a waiting list. We don’t want to do that, because if we have someone who needs a meal, we want to get him or her that meal. Sometimes, that is the only good meal they have each day. But, if we continue to have our budget cut, just like every other agency is getting it, than I see we might have to start a waiting list.

“Our homebound folks are our most frail, and they are the ones where that meal is the only thing standing between them and going into a nursing facility. And that’s not saying nursing facilities are bad, but we are all happier in our own home.”

McLaren said fundraisers like the one put on by Nodler are not uncommon. In September, a car show is planned with the Carthage Health and Rehab, Joplin Health and Rehab and Webb City Health and Rehab organizations.

The regional Area Agency on Aging also has corporate and private partners, and McLaren said she also writes for grants to gain extra funding.