Federal funding issues pose uncertainty for the Council on Aging of Central Oregon
(Update: adding video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Some local organizations are concerned about how the uncertainty around federal funding will impact their programs.
The Council on Aging of Central Oregon says 40% of their budget is federally funded.
The funding supports key programs like community dining, family caregiver support and Meals on Wheels.
They also mentioned there’s a lot of uncertainty right now, which makes planning for the future difficult.
"Without knowing what's going to happen, we don't know how many people were going to be able to serve," Emma Fried-Cassorla, the council's director of communications, said Wednesday. "We don't know what programs we are going to be able to run. So it's really just kind of -- it's a real challenge to figure out how you're going to run an organization that does have to rely on federal funding."
The organization says donations received during this time help them plan and budget for the upcoming fiscal year, starting July 1st.
They encourage getting involved in advocacy efforts to help secure the resources that sustain programs like theirs. They recommend signing up for Justice in Aging's newsletter (www.justiceinaging.org/sign-up)
