Meals on Wheels in East Bay ends 'Breakfast Bag' program due to funding cuts

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- A vital lifeline for hundreds of East Bay seniors that provides them with free, healthy breakfasts has ended due to funding cuts.

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region's Breakfast Bag program served hundreds, like Gilbert Valdez. He has benefited from Meals on Wheels for more than a year now.

"It's a very, very, very good for elderly people like us," he said.

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region launched the Breakfast Bag program at the height of the pandemic to bring extra support for vulnerable, older adults like Valdez.

"We started with a client list of 100 seniors on the program. Since 2020, it's grown to serve more than 500 seniors with weekly breakfast all from Central Contra Costa County, Martinez, San Ramon -- all the way out to Discovery Bay, Bethel Island," said Skylar Schaefer, Meals on Wheel Diablo Region's communications manager.

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The nonprofit says that the Breakfast Bag program was forced to end on Oct. 2 due to lack of funding.

"It's going to impact me hard. You know that, because it's just, it's like taking away my Chihuahua," Valdez said.

The nonprofit says it's down around $750,000 to fund the Breakfast Bag program.

"That comes from a lack of funding all the way down. So, it's trickle down. Effect of federal funding cuts affect state level funding, which affects how much funding the county has to give to nonprofits like us," Schaefer said.

The nonprofit isn't giving up entirely. It says it's actively working to find new funding to bring the program back stronger than before.

"We're fighting to try and bring the breakfast bags back for our food insecure neighbors. And if you would like to donate or help fight food insecurity in our area, you can go to our website, at mowdiabloregion.org, and figure out how to get involved," Schaefer said.

The nonprofit said that it's also working with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier to find a solution.

Though the Breakfast Bag program is ending, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region said its flagship home delivery program, serving other meals, will still serve more than 1,900 seniors every week without interruption.