By Rep. Dean Urdahl
A Grove City program which serves area senior citizens has been awarded a state grant after the Minn. Department of Human Services initially rejected an application for funding that the organization requires to operate. State Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, said the Grove City CARE indicates it raises approximately $20K per year on its own, but needs state funding on top of that to continue delivering services such as meal deliveries, transportation, home care, foot health and more.
Urdahl expressed his concerns over the issue to DHS and even authored a House bill to remedy the situation through alternative funding methods. On Thursday, CARE was told it would receive a grant. The final dollar amount will be determined at a later date.
“It was clear to me that the Grove City CARE group had filed a worthy application and it would really have been sad for the state to deny their request,” Urdahl said. “I consulted with Rep. Dave Baker from Willmar on the matter. I also reached out to DHS and told them it was unacceptable for the agency to jeopardize services for our local seniors. Fortunately, it appears we have reached the right outcome. The next step is for the state to award the grant funding in the proper amount and I will keep working on this issue to make sure that it happens.”
CARE reports that it serves residents 60 or older in an area of approximately 100 Sq. miles. It consists of all or partial area of the following townships: Manannah, Swede Grove, Acton, Harvey, Danielson, and Litchfeild, recently reaching down to Cosmos.