BRINNON — Brinnon’s Senior Nutrition program will remain in operation until some time in July, now that the Olympic Community Action Programs leader has backed off his original plan to discontinue the program Thursday night.
“I decided that the embarrassment of changing my mind was worth it to talk to the advisory committee first,” said Tim Hockett, OlyCAP’s executive director, who announced the temporary extension to nutrition program attendees Thursday night at the Brinnon Community Center.
Brinnon seniors and volunteers working with the program, which serves meals at the community center, were told Tuesday in an e-mail note from Hockett that the program was scheduled for closure on Thursday because of sparse attendance in the face of soaring expenses for gasoline and food.
The Brinnon Meals on Wheels program was to be continued.
Hockett said his change of heart about the nutrition program came amid complaints — and several offers of help in finding a solution.
“What we’ve decided to do is to continue the program, and for me to meet with the advisory group to brainstorm for solutions,” he said.
“I am not putting an end date on it, because I want to give the community ample time to come up with a solution.”
He said the program would be closed Tuesday through Thursday because there is no longer enough staff, but it would reopen thereafter and “could continue well into July, for sure.”
Discussions about a solution will take place next week, he said.
OlyCAP has racked up a $3,000 deficit across the North Olympic Peninsula system for nutrition programs, and is running a deficit of $20,000 for Meals on Wheels served on the Peninsula.
At the same time, federal funding filtering down through the state is also diminishing for such programs.
Hockett said that the Brinnon nutrition program serves only an average of 12 people per day, and has served as few as six a day, far below the break-even number of 30 a day.
That is the lowest attendance of any on the North Olympic Peninsula, Hockett said.
