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Fourteen senior meal sites saved By Jonel Aleccia Aggressive fund raising and cost-cutting measures at the Rogue Valley Council of Governments may have saved � just barely � 14 meals sites for seniors in two Southern Oregon counties. Even four endangered sites in Eagle Point, Gold Hill, Merlin and Williams likely will remain open, thanks to last-minute donations of cash, services and volunteers, said Don Bruland, RVCOG executive director. "It looks like we�re going to be able to eke by," Bruland said Tuesday. "With board approval, we�ll be able to do it." The RVCOG board of directors meets today to consider funding for the Food and Friends program that provides some 220,000 meals annually to some 4,000 local residents over age 60. More than 140,000 meals each year are delivered to people who can�t leave their homes. The senior nutrition program was imperiled this spring when ACCESS Inc. of Medford declined to continue subsidizing costs of delivery and site management in Jackson County, said Carlus Harris, nutrition program manager. "With the money that was there, there wasn�t enough for us to continue doing it," said Harris, who estimated ACCESS was pouring $100,000 above its contracted fees into the program each year. RVCOG took over those duties, but wound up more than $200,000 shy of the costs for paid site management and delivery staff. The costs were more because the agency had to start services from scratch, Bruland said. Thanks to more than $60,000 in cash donations, and more than $60,000 of in-kind services, the shortfall has been reduced to little more than $70,000, Bruland said. Fund-raising efforts will continue through June 2001 to make up the difference, he added. Some of the donations have included private contributions from RVCOG staff members and reduced salaries for workers who volunteered to cut hours to save costs. Tensions have run high as ACCESS and the RVCOG negotiated the agreement, representatives from both sides acknowledged. As the designated area agency on aging for Jackson and Josephine counties, RVCOG has funded the $1 million nutrition program since 1974. ACCESS has received � and will continue to receive � about $700,000 annually to prepare meals and deliver them to congregate sites. But ACCESS officials said delivery and site management services were costing $100,000 above contracted agreements. "Our position was, either we�re going to do it and get paid or you�re going to do it," Harris said. Added Bruland: "I am aware that there are some hard feelings there. This program has been their baby." But Bruland and Harris agreed that the important thing is ensuring continuance of the program that nurtures seniors physically and socially. "If somebody really wanted to make a difference," Bruland said, "there�s still a tremendous need for volunteer drivers to deliver the home-delivered meals." To volunteer, call Bruland at 664-6676, extension 225. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA