Broccoli Stems
We’ve been reading about the cost of groceries in Nevada. The Hill, on January 16, 2024, reported residents in the Silver State fork over roughly $294.76 weekly at the grocery store, enough to rank us second in the nation. In February 2024, the news was bad for egg eaters, with prices on the rise yet again. How do older Americans stretch their dollars to eat, some depend on Washoe County Government.
Over the years I’ve interviewed a number of seniors on different topics. I’ve learned from them the older they get the less valued they feel. They are convinced that they are not listened to. They have yesterday to talk about, not tomorrow. They’ve survived childhood, college, their first job, first home, raising kids, or not, lived their lives and have tried to do the best they can and hope they have given back to the community where they reside.
If you’re asking why so many seniors need assistance, let’s break the last century of seniors down:
The Greatest Generation commonly referring to those Americans who were born in the 1900s through the 1920s are all but gone. They lived through the Great Depression and many of them fought in World War II. Then there is the Silent Generation; people born from 1928 to 1945.
And last but not least the Boomers born between 1946 and 1964. These are the very people who are causing the senior population to rise at a fast pace. Because of their large numbers and the relative prosperity of the U.S. economy during their working careers, Baby Boomers as a group remain economically and politically influential. But as more and more Boomers reach retirement age, many are facing serious financial challenges. Boomers witnessed the decline of traditional defined-benefit pensions, and in their place came defined-contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans. The result has not been pretty for a large part of the Baby Boomer population. As of 2020, only 58.1% of Baby Boomers between age 56 and 64 had any type of retirement account, per the “United States Census Bureau, Who Has Retirement Accounts?” report.
Among Baby Boomer households with retirement savings, the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies estimates their median value at $289,000. The center also reports that 41% of Boomers expect their primary source of retirement income will be Social Security benefits. Let’s not forget that the Great Recession cut late Boomers’ retirement wealth. The single biggest reason for the shortfall in savings was the 10% spike in unemployment during the Great Recession that followed the stock market crash, the reasons behind the decline in late boomer households’ wealth.
Now to the ‘meat’ of our investigation. Commissioner Mike Clark is adamant about the quality and quantity of food provided by Washoe County Government Human Services Agency to older Americans.
Clark commented to us, “From 2008 to 2012, I watched people I know go from wealthy to financially devastated. It was dependent on how they were invested and positioned but it was ugly. When I go to a senior center and talk to people many of them bring up the amount of money they lost during the Great Recession. For some seniors this is the best meal of the day. They go home and have a peanut butter sandwich, or a bowl of soup. For other seniors, eating this meal is how they make their Social Security dollars stretch for the month. Hence, why I have a problem with the portions, they need to be larger, and the quality, it needs to taste good. Give seniors a large enough portion so there is something left on their plate to take home. My fellow commissioners all do a lot of talking about how important seniors are in Washoe County, I’m just not seeing it.”
Clark has been trying to troubleshoot these food issues with Washoe County HSA for the past nine months. He said so many people have come to him upset, frustrated, and scared to complain because they believe there might be retaliation. Clark tells us he had lunch on Friday, March 1, 2023, and a senior came up to him, thanked him for his concern and trying to improve the food. Clark reports the gentleman said, “They sure, want my vote, but they don’t care about me day to day, and I sure thank you for just caring.” Clark said, “He’s right, Commissioner Clara Andriola and Commission Chair Alexis Hill like to pontificate about how important they think the seniors are, but they only want their vote, and they know they need it to get elected. Over 70% of seniors vote in Washoe County. Seniors haven’t seen Hill or Andriola day to day, they only show up for a photo opt.”
The Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) provides the guidelines for the contract Washoe County Human Services Agency (WCHSA) outlines in the Request for Proposal (RFP) to “reduce hunger and food insecurity among older individuals, promote the socialization, health and well-being, and delay adverse health conditions for older individuals.” Just take a look at the photos of food the county’s SNP is providing to older individuals and we sure don’t see health and well-being on those plates.
WCHSA “the county” awarded the agreement for one year from October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020, with the option to renew for four (4) one (1) year periods. As usual Washoe County went on auto pilot and just keeps renewing this agreement with Valley Service, Inc. while not paying any attention to the quality of the food. WCHSA seems to want to avoid the RFP process again; it is easier to keep a vendor then settle a new vendor in. The only ‘Negative Nancy’ on the dais fighting the good fight for seniors is Commissioner Clark.
WCHSA pays Valley Service, Inc. AKA TRIO Community Meals, LLC $3.53 for each hot congregate meal served at the senior centers. Think about that $3.53. Now remember the county is supposed to get some reimbursement from the State or Federal Nutrition Programs, but we are awaiting public records to find out how much. The State of Nevada might be getting Medicaid and Medicare funding for reimbursement of nutrition related services.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of October 17, 2023, food preparation workers in 2022, their average hourly wage was $13.44 per hour entry level, and $16.61 at experience level.
While starting to research institutional cooking for this article, we also learned of the Q factor, also called a cover cost in the hospitality industry, an estimate of the typical cost a food guest will consume outside of the menu item, such as salt, pepper, condiments, sugar, lemon wedges, butter, etc. The Q factor cost can be 10% to 30% of the plate cost.
We found all sort of sites showing us how to calculate food costs and got bogged down in theoretical menu plate costs vs overall food cost percentage. In talking to a few commercial chefs, we learned for this type of food preparation we should be factoring the food costs at about 30%. Say, what, 30% so that means our seniors are being served lunch that has a $1.05 of actual food. How can that be nutritious?
No wonder the lunches are tiny, the food is less than par, meat is rarely seen and is in the form of a meatball or patty, chicken pieces are served, it would be rare to get a leg, thigh, or breast. Seniors are being served broccoli stems, which we can only assume is due to cost. Commissioner Clark said, “Seniors are getting the bottom grade of food, just look at the broccoli we serve them, it is mostly stems, the Washoe County commissioners should all be made to eat these meals regularly.” We located the March 2024 meal schedule on the Washoe County website. Those lucky seniors are getting cabbage casserole - what could be cheaper. The photo Commissioner Clark provided of pollock, which is a bit brown inside, on a bun is pretending to be a fish sandwich. Commissioner Clark has been posting photos of the meals at the Senior Centers and those are what we used for the story.
Picon has reached out to some of our friends in low places and they are equally interested in what food is being served to seniors in the counties where they live. There are multiple public record requests being sent to learn what other counties are serving and what their price per meal is.
Picon plans to reach out to Catholic Charities who provides meals to the Nevada Cares Campus “guests” and learn what their price per meal is and if it includes labor costs.
Clark said, “Washoe County needs to be advocating, supporting, mentoring, and aiding seniors so that their income can last as long as they do. Allow them to stay in their homes so they don’t fall prey to unscrupulous landlords and rent increases. Washoe County needs to treat older Americans with as much care as they do the homeless and earmark equal money for programs to help seniors sustain and live their best golden years.”
