Sandra Jackson, chief operating officer for Elderbridge, told the Wright County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 3 that demand for senior services remains strong even as funding has fallen, forcing the agency to start waitlists for some programs.

"The demand for service continues to remain high, but the funding continues to lessen," Jackson said during an annual update to the board. She said the state unit on aging directed Elderbridge to prioritize services, and the agency now uses a self-reported intake score to place clients on a priority list for congregate and home-delivered meals.

Jackson provided figures for Wright County showing that Elderbridge delivered $17.57 of services for every $1 of county funding and that total service dollars provided in the county in the last fiscal year were $223,531. She said the agency is asking the board for an increase of $3.30 per senior to help meet matching requirements and blunt the impact of depleted federal COVID-era carryover funds.

"We are starting to see waiting lists that are popping up throughout our service area," Jackson said, noting Elderbridge serves 29 counties across a broad geographic area. She described efforts to obtain grants and run local fundraisers to support meal sites that would otherwise be affected.

Supervisors asked for clarification about how prioritization works and whether the decrease in people served reflected eligibility changes or funding limits. Jackson said eligibility has not decreased; rather, the agency cannot serve as many people because funds have declined.

The Elderbridge request was described on the meeting record as a $12,900 ask for the coming year. Jackson said the agency aims to protect its largest programs — congregate meals and home-delivery — while continuing smaller supports such as caregiver programming, emergency response, and snow removal.

The board did not take a formal funding vote during the update; the item remained on the record as a request for future consideration and potential budget allocation.