Meals on Wheels Montgomery County is turning to the local private sector in the wake of proposed cuts to the federal department that funds the program included in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.

There are approximately 5,000 community-run Meals on Wheels programs nationwide, which receive 35 percent of their overall funding from the federal government, according to Meals on Wheels America. The federal funding comes from the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, which is under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is a proposed 17.9 percent, or $15.1 billion, cut to the department, according to the federal budget blueprint released last week.

Meals on Wheels America said in a statement March 16 the effects on the specific funds earmarked for the program have not been announced yet. However, funding for Meals on Wheels also comes through federal block grant programs, two of which would be eliminated in the proposed budget.

In Montgomery County, Meals on Wheels provides consistent nutrition to homebound elderly residents who otherwise do not have access to it, Executive Director Allison Hulett said. About 30 percent of the organization’s funding comes from federal dollars for the Meals on Wheels program, she said.

“We provide a public health service to a demographic that, not only isn’t going away, but is growing,” Hulett said. “These are folks who are homebound and can’t make the meal happen for themselves. If they don’t get that constant nutrition and safety check, then the community’s health as a whole suffers. It’s a program that I would argue benefits any community out there.”

To make up for the federal funding in question, Meals on Wheels Montgomery County is asking local supporters to consider giving a monthly recurring donation of $15.

“If 1,500 supporters of the program in all of Montgomery County donated a monthly recurring donation of $15, we could make up for [the proposed federal cut] and secure our program,” Hulett said. “As an organization, we like that model because you’re gaining local support directly.”

To find out more about the local organization, visit www.mowmc.org.