Ware COA discusses $50,000 GDGB proposal to subsidize lunches, fund home care and install lock boxes

At its March 2023 meeting, the Ware Council on Aging reviewed a proposed GDGB award of $50,000 to be used over a two-year period, with a detailed allocation plan for senior services and safety. The board discussed directing $12,000 to subsidize lunch-program overhead so the daily meal fee could be reduced from $3.50 to $2.00 for one fiscal year, a change described in the minutes as providing an "approximate $30.00 respite per senior each month." The proposal would also allocate $3,000 to host a monthly community dinner free to all attendees, and $10,000 to cover one senior’s year of home-care assistance through a qualified home-care service.

The minutes state the senior-care recipient would be selected by "The Social Services Coordinator of the Town of Ware" using factors such as need, impact and quality of life. The plan would reserve $15,000 to purchase 75 lock boxes that the Ware Fire Department would distribute and install based on a prioritized need list generated by the town’s Social Services Coordinator. Board members discussed these allocations and next steps; the minutes record the funding plan but do not show that a formal vote on accepting the GDGB award occurred during the meeting. The COA will await the grant award decision; the board’s next meeting is scheduled for April 18, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.