"Essential service" in the State of Minnesota

While the welcome news of continued support from the State of Minnesota resulted in many notes of congratulation, it also presents an opportunity to clarify the role of Store To Door in the minds of those who have questioned why any State money should be used to support such a service.

            Our goal is to enhance independent living among homebound elderly.  What does independent living look like for one of our typical clients, an 82-year-old woman who has outlived her social connections, is unable to leave her home because she can’t walk or breathe or see and who is living on $900 a month or less?  Her world has become smaller than she prefers but she is still able to choose what she wants to eat, she is able to answer her phone and she is able to open her door to a bi-weekly grocery delivery. 

            Store To Door service provides a personal phone contact every other week, checking in on her as well as taking her grocery order; the opportunity to maximize her purchasing ability by allowing her to shop at a competitively-priced grocery store and a personal visit every other week by a delivery person she’s come to know and trust.  And, if she is eligible for SNAP, or food stamp benefits, which is increasingly true among Store To Door clients, she can actually use the benefit even though she can’t get to the store.

            Why is independent living important for old people in Minnesota?  Every State of Minnesota resident should understand it’s much less costly to shop for and deliver groceries into an elderly person’s home (about $650 per year) than it is to house them, at the State’s expense in a facility which offers board along with a bed (at least $25,000 a year). 

            In 2011, State of Minnesota funding (a total of $156,000) comprises 14.7% of our total budget.  We receive no Federal funding and have no reserve.  We operate on a balanced budget so if budgeted funds are not received, we must cut services.   

            We’ve been asked why aren’t families or church communities taking care of these people?  Their families have dispersed or they have died; the church is engaged to the extent possible but cannot meet their needs week-in, week-out. 

            What about other for-profit grocery delivery services?  Elderly clients don’t have computers to order on-line, they’ve been warned to not give any financial information over the phone, particularly checking account routing numbers and, most often, the groceries delivered are more costly.  No full-line for-profit grocery delivery service accepts SNAP. 

            How about Meals on Wheels or food shelves—why can’t the elderly get by on these community supports (both of which are very heavily Federally-funded).  About 15% of Store To Door’s clients also get five meals a week from Meals on Wheels; far less than the 21 meals most of us expect to eat each week.  And, a woman who can’t walk out of her apartment can’t get to a food shelf or carry food home. 

            We are very grateful to have been deemed an essential service by the State of Minnesota—our clients consider the groceries they receive along with the personal attention that enriches their lives, as essential.