City OKs food program request

Electric City’s council approved a request for a $2,000 contribution to the Grand Coulee Dam/Coulee City Nutritional Program at its meeting Oct 8. The council will take a formal vote on the resolution at its next meeting, Nov. 5.

The request, made by Myrna M. Schryvers, director of the program, is for the city’s 2014 budget. This budget year Electric City gave the organization $1,500.

Schryvers, by letter, explained to the council how costs have risen and how popular the program has become.

The organization has a budget this year of $156,578. Of that amount, $54,796 is funded through Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington. The remainder of the budget is raised through fundraisers, donations, and with some recipients paying for their meals, Schryvers said.

“Not only do we serve senior citizens 60 years of age and older, but also disabled people and the younger generation,” she wrote.

The organization served 9,371 meals from January through September already this year.

The meal breakdown for those served, by city, is:

Electric City, 1,867 meals; Grand Coulee, 3,465 meals; Coulee Dam, 1,629 meals; Coulee City, 2026 meals; and out of area, 384 meals.

Schryvers said the reason she was asking more for 2014, was because of increases in payroll taxes, food costs, and food delivery fuel surcharges.

Some seniors receive their meals at the Senior Center, while others, who are shut-ins, get meal deliveries, Schryvers noted.

For 2014, in addition to Electric City, Schryvers said she will be asking for $2,900 from Grand Coulee, $1,000 from Coulee Dam, $1,500 from Coulee City and $4,000 from Grant County.

Councilmember John Nordine moved to honor the request, and it will come before the council at their next meeting in the form of a resolution.