Every day, 800 homebound people in the Lehigh Valley receive a fresh meal delivered to their home via Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit that serves people who could not otherwise afford such a service.

One of those is Sandra, a Whitehall Township resident who opened her door with a smile Thursday morning as she received a packaged meal of chicken taco salad with a side of mandarin oranges from Meals on Wheels volunteers.

Sandra said the meal delivery service helps her in her day-to-day life, as she is mostly homebound. It is also a fulfilling way for volunteers David and Mary Venditta, who live in Allentown, to spend their Thursday mornings as a retired couple.

“I do look forward to seeing them each week,” Mary said of the Meals on Wheels clients she serves. “And if they are sick or something, and we are not supposed to go for one day, it worries me.”

However, the program is at risk due to the ongoing state budget impasse and uncertainty about federal funding.

In March, Meals on Wheels America President Ellie Hollander issued a statement criticizing Congress for passing a continuing funding resolution rather than a completed budget, which left funding levels for Meals on Wheels flat through September even though the cost of the program has increased. The federal government shutdown that began Wednesday has added even more uncertainty.

Pennsylvania’s budget impasse that has stretched on for nearly three months also is straining operations locally.

According to Dina Kovat-Bernat, director of development at Meals on Wheels Greater Lehigh Valley, the organization is no longer able to enroll new clients until the state passes a budget.

Meals for about 75% of clients are funded through the counties, which funnel state and federal funds to the organization. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties have a wait list of people who are eligible for services but cannot receive them right now due to the impasse.

Meals on Wheels Greater Lehigh Valley is tapping into its reserves to continue paying for meal deliveries to existing clients, and expects to be reimbursed once the state budget passes.

“This truly becomes a life-and-death situation,” Kovat-Bernat said. “Food is medicine, food is their nutrition, it is their lifeline. There is a big concern that if we can’t feed them, how will they survive it?”

It is no easy task to bring home-delivered meals to hundreds of people across the region, Kovat-Bernat said.

Meals on Wheels chefs begin their day preparing the food at 4 a.m. Monday through Friday. The meals are brought to local distribution centers, where they are then picked up and delivered by local volunteers in time for lunch.

“We have been in the Lehigh Valley 54 years, and so this business concept, I don’t think could be started or sustained in this day and time, but the fact that we have done it for so long allows us to continue chugging forward,” Kovat-Bernat said.

State Sen. Nick Miller, who shadowed Meals on Wheels volunteers and staff Thursday morning as part of a “Walk-a-day” series of constituent visits, said he is “frustrated” by the budget impasse.

Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have been unable to come to an agreement on budget items like public school and Medicaid funding, which has led to delayed funds for programs like Meals on Wheels, school districts and other social services.

“The frustration is on my team and our leadership team, that this should have been done in June,” Miller said. “We have given and tried to continue to negotiate in good faith, and we’ve done that, but I’m looking forward to get back out there and getting this done sooner rather than later.”

The legislature is back in session on Monday, and Miller said he hopes for progress toward a budget then. Counties, school districts and other state-funded agencies already are feeling the effects of the delay — Northampton County is weighing furloughs for more than 175 human services employees because the state has stopped reimbursing their costs due to the impasse.

However, Meals on Wheels Greater Lehigh Valley is continuing its work for the time being, although Kovat-Bernat said the organization is always in need of volunteers and donations.

“If you don’t have the financial resources, time is also a resource that we would appreciate even if it’s once a month or once a week,” Kovat-Bernat said.

Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/10/03/lehigh-valley-meals-on-wheels-funding-woes/