"I see us potentially losing some of the volunteer base," said Supervisor Don Notolli at Tuesday's board meeting. "The human contact for the seniors is [currently] happening five times a week ... that day-to-day contact is important."

Despite concerns, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved changes Tuesday designed to save the popular Meals on Wheels program. In 2010, hundreds of seniors will no longer receive daily hot meal visits.

A plan drafted by the county's Department of Human Assistance will save the county $917,000. It will cut $680,000 from the program and shift $237,000 to the state's Medi-Cal program.

The changes will become effective Dec. 31.

The plan, however, will maintain meal service for all seniors. "We are pleased to announce that we will continue to provide meals to all of those within the program," said Bruce Wagstaff, director of the Department of Human Assistance.

Wagstaff announced that the program will save money by discontinuing delivery of daily hot meals for many seniors. "Many of the (1,400) seniors in the home-delivery program [will] receive a five-pack of frozen meals each week that they [will] reheat over the course of the week," he said.

But some seniors aren't able to heat the frozen meals. About 150 of those most vulnerable seniors will continue to receive daily hot meals, delivered by the program's network of volunteers.

Wagstaff pointed out that 9.2 county positions will be cut, too.

"This plan [to save Meals on Wheels] covers the current fiscal year, and includes the use of stimulus money that will not last forever," he said. "Intensive fund raising will continue to be a key part of our strategy."

To help finance the program beyond this fiscal year, the county plans to aggressively seek donations and community support through the Interfaith Service Bureau, Wagstaff said.

According to the county report on the program: "Donations during Fiscal Year 2008-09 totaled $85,000. Since calendar year 2000, [Meals on Wheels] has raised approximately $500,000 in donations."

Earlier this year, the county received $306,000 from the federal stimulus program to finance Meals on Wheels. These resources will be be depleted on Sept. 30, 2010.

At an Oct. 20 meeting, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors delayed making budgetary changes to the Meals on Wheels program in hopes that county administrators could find a way to save it. Many were pleased that the program was saved from elimination, but worry about an uncertain future and the loss of human contact for many seniors.

To help offset these cuts, Notolli suggested that the county seek new volunteer assistance to maintain the program's daily contact with seniors.

"Nobody thinks that this is the best solution," said Geraldine Esposito, chairwoman of the Sacramento County Adult and Aging Commission. "But we can actually retain the program and that's what's critical right now."

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