Working with CWAG and seniors organizations in central Wisconsin, Shibilski introduced Senate Bill 294 to increase funding for the state and federal Elderly Nutrition Program and home-delivered meal services provided by counties. A public hearing will be held on SB 294 in the Senate Committee on Human Services and Aging on January 18. Wisconsin has provided senior nutrition programs in all 72 counties for over 20 years.
Most counties offer group meals for seniors at community centers and also home-delivered meals.
In 1996 alone, the program served over 3 million meals at 600 community sites across Wisconsin, and also delivered over 2.6 million meals to homebound seniors. SB 294 is vitally important to many seniors who are forced to make tough decisions about basic daily needs. Frazier and Shibilski noted that a recent nationwide survey shows that millions of elderly Americans have to regularly choose between purchasing medicine, paying bills, or buying food. Nobody in Wisconsin should be forced to make that choice. Frazier expected significant support at the Senate Committee s public hearing.