Congresswoman Lee and Catholic Charities of Southern NV Deliver Meals to Senior, Highlighting Threat to Meals on Wheels Due to Republican Budget Cuts
ABOVE (L to R): Rep. Susie Lee, Meals on Wheels recipient Mae Courson, and CCSN President and CEO Sara Ramirez
LAS VEGAS – Following passage of the Republican-led budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada’s (CCSN) Meals on Wheels program to make a delivery to local Nevada senior Mae Courson at Arioso Senior Apartments. Last week, House Republicans passed the largest cuts to Medicaid in history and the most severe reduction to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in decades. These cuts threaten access to Meals on Wheels and will cause seniors to go hungry.
Mae Courson, who is blind, shared her concerns about how Meals on Wheels will be affected by federal cuts and policy changes in the Republican legislation. Lee was joined by CCSN President and CEO Sara Ramirez.
“Thousands of homebound seniors in Nevada like Mae Courson rely on Meals on Wheels. But House Republicans’ historic cuts to SNAP and Medicaid threaten access to Meals on Wheels and seniors will go hungry,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Republicans in Congress are taking away food and healthcare from seniors, children, and families so they can turn around and give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.”
“The programs are very important for those of us citizens that are disabled; for those of us that are seniors,” said Meals on Wheels recipient and Nevada senior Mae Courson.
"Meals on Wheels is truly a lifeline for homebound seniors in our community," said Sara Ramirez, President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. "Each week, we serve more than 2,400 seniors across Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, delivering more than just food. We offer meaningful human connection and regular check-ins that help seniors stay safely in their own homes. This program provides a cost-effective and compassionate alternative to institutional care and assisted living, enabling seniors to live independently and with the care they deserve.”
Nationwide, 1 in 3 Meals on Wheels providers has a waitlist, with an average wait time nearing four months and some extending to two years. In December 2024, there were 1,000 seniors on the waiting list to receive assistance from CCSN’s Meals on Wheels program. If House Republicans’ historic cuts to SNAP and Medicaid are signed into law, the demand for Meals on Wheels will skyrocket at a time when their resources are already stretched too thin.
Meals on Wheels is funded through government grants for approximately 60% of the total meal cost, with the remaining cost needing to be raised and paid by CCSN. CCSN’s Meals on Wheels Program delivers a set of seven nutritionally balanced, frozen meals to approximately 2,450 clients every week throughout the year in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. The average cost to provide a meal is about $7. The drivers also perform weekly wellness checks.
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