President Trump issued an executive order pausing all federal funds, including grants to nonprofit organizations. This directive, outlined in a memorandum from Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Matthew Vaeth, was set to take effect at 5:00 PM on January 28. However, a U.S. District judge issued a temporary injunction, delaying its implementation. As of today, the spending freeze is still being litigated in the courts.
While Coal Creek Meals on Wheels does not currently receive federal funding, this order raises broader concerns that could impact our organization.
Many Meals on Wheels programs across the country, as well as our partner organizations, rely heavily on federal funding to provide essential services. This includes our neighboring Meals on Wheels programs in Loveland, Fort Collins, and Weld County, which are deeply integrated into the communities they serve. If these organizations face significant funding cuts and are unable to serve their clients at the same capacity, we could see an increased demand for our services in Boulder County and beyond.
In 2023, we saw a significant increase in need for our services when Emergency SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were eliminated. If these federally funded benefits are further reduced, we could see another surge in our need for services, potentially limiting our ability to provide meals for anyone in need.
Tariffs on imports also appear to be a priority. If they are implemented, we anticipate seeing a rise in food costs, which will lead to increased expenses for our organization — especially as the number of individuals we serve increases.Â
With these impacts in mind, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels and our community partners will count on support from individuals donors like you more than ever before, as 44% of our revenue comes from individual giving.
Our leadership team is committed to carefully evaluating how this executive order may impact our organization and the communities we serve. My priority as Executive Director remains the same: to ensure that we have the financial resources and capacity to fulfill our mission of serving any of our neighbors in need.
We will continue to plan proactively, advocate for the Meals on Wheels network and other food service providers, and explore opportunities to strengthen our financial position, no matter the challenges this order may present in the future — because our neighbors are counting on us.
If you would like to discuss this in greater detail or would like to learn more about how you can support us during these unprecedented times, please reach out to any of our team members below:
Nate Broeckert, Executive Director: nbroeckert@coalcreekmow.org
Brittany Vital, Director of Philanthropy: bvital@coalcreekmow.org
Luna Collins, Community Engagement Manager: lcollins@coalcreekmow.org