Boston Council Committee Advances $2.6 Million State Grant for Senior Nutrition Program

BOSTON — March 10, 2025 — Boston City Council committee hears $2.6M state senior nutrition grant amid federal funding fears. The Committee on Strong Women, Families, and Communities, chaired by Councillor Erin J. Murphy with co-chair and Council President Liz Breadon, held a hearing Monday on docket 0393, a $2,563,236.28 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence to fund Meals on Wheels services administered by the city's Age Strong Commission. The program, which covers home-delivered and congregate meals at 44 sites for Boston residents over 60, is funded through three streams — state, federal, and $300,000 in city dollars — with the state grant representing roughly a third of the commission's contribution to the overall program. Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships Melissa Carlson warned that federal Nutrition Services Incentive Program contracts have not yet arrived and that last year's program absorbed an approximately $880,000 federal decrease, with additional cuts expected this fiscal year. Both councillors pledged strong budget advocacy for the Age Strong Commission when hearings begin later this spring.