A St. Johns volunteer has spent the past couple of years delivering meals to neighbors who can’t get out on their own, but limited space and volunteers mean demand can’t always be met. Now, a bipartisan bill in Washington could help expand access.
- St. Johns volunteer Les Warner delivers more than a hundred meals weekly to homebound seniors and neighbors through Good News Kitchen, but limited vehicle space and volunteers have capped how many people he can serve.
- The Basic Needs Center saw a 27% increase in neighbors served in February 2026 compared to the year before.
- The bipartisan Delivering for Rural Seniors Act would create a pilot program to expand home-delivered food options for low-income seniors in rural areas.
WATCH: Rural seniors face food access gap
Seniors face food access gap as St. Johns volunteers hit capacity
Les Warner has had the same Tuesday routine for the past couple of years: loading up his vehicle and delivering meals to St. Johns neighbors through Good News Kitchen.
“We had 116 meals last week. To people who need the meals and can’t get out,” Warner said.
Warner estimates about 70% of the meals he personally delivers go to seniors, though he said the need stretches across all age groups…