Millions of dollars for senior meals diverted

Santa Clara County officials in California are calling for Sourcewise—a nonprofit contracted to distribute state and federal funding to programs that feed the elderly—to reveal why it spent more than $3.5 million earmarked for senior meals on other things since 2010, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Supervisor Joe Simitian told the Mercury News it’s been a struggle with the nonprofit, as they have been “[stonewalling] every inquiry.”

However, the nonprofit does not dispute using the money for things outside of senior meals. Sourcewise CEO Steve Schmoll told the Mercury News that the nonprofit has used about 30 percent of its federal funds to provide other needs for seniors, which is legal, for nearly two decades, says the website.

“Yes, there’s an unmet need for senior nutrition,” Schmoll told the website. “There’s also an unmet need for housing, for home support services, for legal assistance, for transportation. You can’t divorce one need and say because that’s what you provide, it’s the most important.”

Read the full story at the San Jose Mercury News.