PALO PINTO COUNTY—If the Trump Administration’s proposed budget cuts go through, 68-year-old disabled Graford resident Kevin Randall said he’ll go hungry.

President Donald J. Trump released his budget proposal to Congress, May 2, signaling the administration’s request for Fiscal Year 2026 spending levels.

The plan proposes a 26% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services. This includes Labor-Health and Human Services-Education funding, which is the primary funding vehicle for Meals on Wheels programs.

“It would mean I wouldn’t be guaranteed something to eat for supper,” Randall said. “I depend on Meals on Wheels a lot.”

Randall lives alone. He broke his back ten years ago and has relied on Meals on Wheels of Palo Pinto County ever since.

Randall said the program delivers more than kindness, it also provides a wellness check and a chance to interact with another human being.

“I have developed friendships with the people who work with Meals on Wheels,” he noted.

Randall is not alone. Meals on Wheels of Palo Pinto County has already served 303 elderly and disabled adults and expects that number to grow through the year. In April, 19 new referrals qualified for meal delivery services. Executive Director Courtney Lane-Auld said it’s likely that cuts will impact their home-delivered meal program funding further and partner agencies are already warning of cuts to FY26 budgets.

While the resolution does not explicitly call for Social Service Block Grants’ termination, it directs 11 House committees to develop legislation aimed at reducing the federal deficit over Fiscal Years 2025 through 2034. These reconciliation instructions enable committees to propose spending cuts, which may include removing programs like SSBG which provide Title XX funding for home delivered meals.

Lane-Auld states 95 clients currently rely on this funding. Elimination of SSBG would leave the program with no choice but to reduce services, add seniors to a waitlist or turn clients away. One in three Meals on Wheels programs across the nation are currently operating with a waitlist. Demand is likely to increase as cuts to other safety-net programs like SNAP and Medicaid limit access, reduce benefits and intensify food insecurity and hardship for older residents, while resources aren’t keeping up with the need.

For example, $7.54 is the nonprofit’s unit price per meal and government funding only covers either $6.12 or $6.46, depending on the program, according to Lane-Auld.

“We’re already serving more people than the government provides funding for, we do this with community support, business donations, and client contributions,” she said. “If the cuts go through, that’s when we’ll have to start looking at waiting lists and really rely on that local support.”

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington is the Budget Committee Chairman and supports Trump’s proposed spending plan. Referred to as a “skinny budget” since it does not list specific funding requests for all programs and initiatives under the federal government, it aims to slash $163 billion in non-defense discretionary funding across the federal government.

“President Trump’s budget reflects his bold and unwavering commitment to reining in Washington’s runaway spending, right sizing the bloated federal bureaucracy and putting our nation on a path to balance,” Arrington said in a statement, May 2. “President Trump’s budget is a battle plan for restoring economic freedom and fiscal sanity in Washington before it’s too late.”

Arrington added:

• In 2024, outlays, or actual dollars spent by the federal government, totaled $6.8 trillion—23% of the entire U.S. GDP. Deficit spending totaled $1.8 trillion which is equivalent to all of the discretionary spending for 2024.
• Non-defense discretionary continues to outpace defense spending, totaling $960 billion, or 53%, of 2024 discretionary outlays.
• Under President Joe Biden, the average deficit was $1.9 trillion—an increase of 137% compared to the average pre-COVID deficit under President Trump.

From here, Congress must work to create and pass a budget for Fiscal Year 2026 before the September 30 deadline.

In the meantime, Meals on Wheels officials said there are ways to help – speak up, get involved and donate. To start, the philanthropy encourages contacting Congressional leaders with thoughts on the issue. For Palo Pinto County:

• U.S. Sen. John Cornyn 517 Hart Senate Office Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-2934
• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz 167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-5922
• U.S. Rep. Roger Williams 2336 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-9896

Secondly, volunteer. Meals on Wheels is constantly in need of those willing to donate their time, especially delivery drivers.

Next, support the charity’s fundraisers. The Meals on Wheels Annual Golf Tournament 2025 is set for May 16 at the Holiday Hills Country Club, 4801 U.S. 180, Mineral Wells. Registration is at 8 a.m. and a shotgun starts at 9 a.m.

And finally, donate. Outside of dwindling federal and state funding, the charity depends on monetary donations from the community.

“We also don’t want to scare our clients,” Lane-Auld said. “We are feeling it and we will probably continue to feel the cuts. But we’re doing everything we can to continue serving everyone and local support allows us to do that.”

Visit www.mealsonwheelsofppc.org or call 940-325-7919 for more information about the golf tournament, volunteering or donating.