San Mateo County’s program that pays local eateries to serve meals to older citizens during the pandemic has been extended another month, through Dec. 8, county officials said.
In the last six months, the program has served more than 850,000 meals to over 3,000 residents and involved over 65 local restaurants. The program provides three meals a day, six days a week, to older adults unable to obtain or make their own meals.
“Since its inception, the program has injected over $19 million into the local economy with 93 percent of the County’s cost being reimbursed by the state and federal governments, Deputy County Manager Peggy Jensen said. “Thanks to the quick action and visionary response of our Board of Supervisors in April, we’ve provided critically-needed business to local restaurants, preserved nearly 900 jobs and avoided numerous restaurant closures.”
Program recipient Matt Slavik said Great Plates Delivered “has been nothing short of a godsend for me.”
“For a senior who lives alone and is supposed to shelter at home except for medical appointments, having these meals delivered is nothing short of a huge and wonderful benefit,” Slavik said.
Older adults are eligible to join the program if they are aged 65 or older, or if they are 60-64 and are in a high-risk category. Applicants must be unable to obtain or make their own meals and must either live alone or with another older adult who fits the eligibility criteria. To participate, older adults living alone must earn less than $74,940, and couples participating in the program must earn less than $101,460. Older adults already receiving state or federal food assistance are not eligible for this program.
To learn more or apply, older adults and their families are encouraged to call the San Mateo County Health’s Aging and Adult Services division at 1-800-675-8437 or visit here.
