Food & Friends helps deliver an average of 14,000 meals for seniors in the region each day. Photo courtesy of RVCOG

Uncertainty looms due to House-passed Trump bill and DOGE cuts; ‘We’ve felt an immediate impact in the region’

Confronting the impacts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting federal funding and President Donald Trump’s recently passed tax and spending bill, organizations across the country have been adjusting to and assessing major cuts in funding for programs, including the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. 

Known as RVCOG, the organization is a voluntary association of cities, counties and special purpose districts in the valley and helps with planning, developing programs and aiding service delivery organizations. 

“What we saw off the bat when DOGE came in and started making changes is all of a sudden, federal employees, our partners, they sort of disappeared and went silent with no notice,” said Ann Marie Alfrey, RVCOG executive director.

Some examples of RVCOG’s efforts include senior and disability services work as the local area agency on aging (AAA) and its Food & Friends and Meals on Wheels programs, which deliver meals to senior citizens in the region who are unable to shop or prepare meals, along with efforts as the designated metropolitan planning organization for the area. 

“We’ve felt an immediate impact in the region,” Alfrey said. “I think the main thing of concern and interest right now is the bill passed with major cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits.”

Referred to by the president and Republican lawmakers as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” the legislation was passed in early July and will bring new work requirements for Medicaid users and well as those using SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

The cuts to federal grants and funding as well as the recently passed bill have RVCOG members scrambling to find other funding sources and to balance the fiscal budget while managing other challenges.

While Alfrey couldn’t calculate specifics on how severe the cuts have been, the organization has lost a number of grants and other forms of funding. 

“I know it’s going to put stress on other programs and services that already have limited funding; we have older adults with such a minimal amount of SNAP benefits, and to see them lose those, food insecurity is going to be a huge problem,” Alfrey said. “We’ll have to wait and see what we can do with whatever funding remains at the federal and state levels. 

“Our main source of funding as the area agency on aging is the Older Americans Act, and there been proposed cuts in some of the title funds, but we’re anticipating that those will be flat funded, but that’s actually a cut because things cost more each year and it is a cut in availability to do our services,” Alfrey added. 

The organization is also dealing with inflation, increasing staff wages and the loss of its commercial lease at the Olsrud Family Nutrition Center effective Aug. 31, which is used for its Food & Friends services.

With all those factors piling up, organization leaders say they are uncertain on just how much the cuts will affect RVCOG and how their services will be affected. 

“We shouldn’t have to fight so hard to deliver critically needed services to the community,” Alfrey said. “We hope it doesn’t adversely impact the most vulnerable in our community.”

Food & Friends and Meals on Wheels delivers more than 14,000 meals per day to seniors in the region, with that being the only full meal of the day for some of the participants. 

Considering the federal fiscal year starts Oct. 1, RVCOG will have a better idea of just how serious the cuts are as well as the full changes and amendments to funding and contract changes will be by then, Alfrey said. 

“We’re waiting for the impact; what we’ve seen happen already is some of our state awards for services have been cancelled,” she added.

Those on Medicaid and using SNAP benefits are encouraged to reach out to their case manager with any questions and concerns. 

For more information about RVCOG and its programs, visit rvcog.org. 

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.