Texans take care of Texans. I am proud the Texas Department of Agriculture will help provide meals to homebound Texans by funding non-profit organizations through Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program.

The program, created during the 80th legislative session, helps defray the cost of home-delivered meals not fully paid for by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) or the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). The Legislature appropriated $20 million to fund the grant program for the next two years.

This grant program will make a tremendous difference in the lives of those homebound Texans who use and need this service. It will significantly reduce or even eliminate the waiting lists many agencies and non-profit organizations have of elderly Texans or those with disabilities who depend on home-delivered meals for their well-being.

On average, home-delivered meals usually cost between $3 and $6 for food and transportation. Under the grant program, TDA will be able to refund $1 per meal served during the last state fiscal year that was not supported by DADS or AAA funding.

This grant program will allow agencies and organizations to stretch their limited resources to put healthy, nutritious food on the tables of our homebound Texans. TDA is now a vital part of the partnership that will make a difference in the lives of so many of our citizens. We thank the Texas Legislature for their dedication of this critical funding.