San Jose’s Senior Nutrition Program hungers for more funds as demand outstrips budget

SAN JOSE TEMPORARILY limited meals for older adults at city community centers in early December amid a budget shortfall — a move that left recipients flustered.

The San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services is responsible for administering meals through the Senior Nutrition Program at 13 community centers across the city. Its meals budget for 2023-24 was $3 million, but due to increasing demand the department encountered an unexpected $174,000 shortfall that could’ve lasted until the end of the fiscal year if Santa Clara County didn’t step in to cover the gap. The county, which funds the program, covered the shortfall after learning the parks department began capping the number of meals.