Meals On Wheels Of Ocean Co. To Receive $270K Under $1.7T Omnibus Bill

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Meals on Wheels of Ocean County will receive more than $270,000 in federal funding to support its meal deliveries to homebound senior citizens, under the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package approved by Congress.

The House of Representatives passed the bill Friday afternoon to send it to President Joe Biden to be signed. The Senate passed the federal spending bill on Thursday.

Community Services Inc. of Ocean County — which operates the Meals on Wheels program and other services — is slated to receive $270,475 to purchase five new Meals on Wheels vehicles.

The trucks not only deliver hot meals but provide for wellness checks on Ocean County seniors who are not able to leave their homes to buy groceries or cook for themselves.

According to program officials, 63 percent of Ocean County seniors are considered at a high nutritional risk, 85 percent are frail, and 66 percent live alone.

In 2021, Meals on Wheels of Ocean County delivered 240,000 hot meals six days a week to more than 1,400 frail and homebound participants, officials said. The need continues to increase along with the increase in the aging population in Ocean County, they said.

The organization said its vehicles and trucks, which cover more than 200,000 miles a year combined delivering meals, have been breaking down.

"With new vehicles, this program will better meet the health and nutritional needs of a vulnerable population in our community," according to Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey's 3rd District, who announced the funding.

It is one of multiple projects in Ocean County that will receive funding in the bill, which was the last official action of the House for this congressional session. It is Kim's last House vote while serving Ocean County; on Jan. 3 the redistricting takes effect, and Kim's Ocean County towns will be split between Chris Smith in the 4th District and Jeff Van Drew in the 2nd District.