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K8 News reports on rising costs impacting a meal delivery program for Arkansas seniors
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From a May 5, 2026, video uploaded to the YouTube channel of K8 News, Arkansas
DIANA DAVIS (ANCHOR): Not only gas prices are rising, but also food prices, which is currently impacting one of Arkansas's most vulnerable groups hard — our seniors. Many older adults are struggling to put food on the table and the agency that delivers meals right to their doors is being stretched to the limit. Our Jake Tester joins us live breaking it all down, Jake.
JAKE TESTER (REPORTER): For many East Arkansas seniors, that meal delivery isn't just food. It's often the only human contact they have all day, but that's becoming harder to guarantee.
JARROD STROUD (EAST ARKANSAS AREA AGENCY ON AGING): The cost for everything has gone up over the years, while our funding has pretty much remained the same.
TESTER: Jarrod Stroud, the director of purchase services for the East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging, says that gap is forcing them to make difficult choices.
STROUD: So right now it's costing us almost $9 to prepare one home-delivered meal right now. Now, a couple years ago that cost was around $5.
TESTER: Now some seniors get five frozen meals dropped off once a week instead of a hot meal and a daily check-in.
STROUD: Instead of doing a welfare check every day for our participants and give them a hot meal, sometimes we have to do one day a week and we give them five frozen meals instead. That way they still get the nutrition, but they also don't get those daily check-ins and the daily socialization.
TESTER: And the problem doesn't stop at lunch. Breakfast and dinner are also a daily struggle, especially in rural areas where there aren't many delivery options. The agency is trying to fill the gap, partnering with food banks to hand out 40 pound food boxes and pointing seniors towards Amazon and Walmart Plus for home delivery. Even with all that, in Craighead County alone, more than 100 people are already on a waitING list with no clear end in sight.
STROUD: The waiting list just keeps growing every day, unfortunately, and there's not really a lot I can do about it. We only have so much funding to provide so many meals.
TESTER: The state recently approved $2 million in new funds, but that money is split across 75 counties and more than 100 senior citizens. The agency's share is enough to serve about 150 more people. In the meantime, the agency is getting creative, partnering with farmers markets in Jonesboro, Paragould, and other communities. Local churches, food banks, some city governments, and state lawmakers are stepping in to help as well.
STROUD: We are grateful that there are some local governments that have been willing to help out. We've had some legislators that have also reached out to local governments on our behalf to help out. And for those guys, we are very appreciative of their help.
TESTER: But Stroud is clear innovation can only go so far without more resources behind it.