LifeQuest loses lunch program

July 29--What was once a "comfort" for people supported by LifeQuest is now gone.

Funding cuts at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now hurting Mitchell'sLifeQuest, an agency which supports people with developmental disabilities.

For the last month several clients of LifeQuest have been tasked with providing their own noon meal. Previously, an estimated 80 clients would utilize the free lunch provided by the National School Lunch Program, which was locally distributed through the Mitchell School District.

But on July 1, the funding -- which paid for the reimbursement of these meals --was cut, according to LifeQuest Executive Director Pam Hanna.

Hanna said the meal provided to clients was a comfort for them and their family members, as it provided a nutritional meal Monday through Friday. But it wasn't just nutrition that Hanna was worried about, it was finding an affordable replacement.

Hanna was informed about the cuts in March when LifeQuest received a letter from the South Dakota Department of Education stating that the USDA would no longer be reimbursing community support providers in South Dakota, which includes LifeQuest, for noon meals.

"It has a huge impact on the people that we support. They've had to take on the financial responsibility of making up that cost of that meal in their already limited budget," Hanna said.

Hanna said she and other LifeQuest employees began looking into other area food services, such as Meals on Wheels and a lunch program through the James Valley Community Center. While these organization were more than willing to help out, the price would still "be significant for people," Hannah said.

So the best option was to have the people served by LifeQuest and their family members make and bring their own meal.

And it's been "going OK," Hanna said. Now that more clients bring in a meal, Hanna said some remodeling had to take place, including additional refrigerators and storage rooms.

But the noon meals provided and the decades-long relationship with the school district are greatly missed, Hanna said.

"I'm disappointed that it isn't provided for people, and I'm disappointed that there isn't another option that we can find that is workable for people financially," Hanna said.

The increased financial burden will force people supported by LifeQuest to spend less on housing or personal purchases, such as entertainment, according to Ken Stach, a member of the agency's board of directors.

"Will they make do? Yes, but they'll have to do without some things," Stach said. "These folks tend to not have the same quality and quantity of life that you and I do to begin with. I just hate to see it impaired at all and unfortunately there's nothing that can be done about it."

Stach added that bringing a meal from home isn't the ideal solution, but it's the best the staff could form after examining "all sorts of alternatives."

Although it's placed more burdens on people served by LifeQuest and their families, Hanna said families have been supportive and understanding despite the financial impact it brings.

"Nobody is going to go without a meal, and we're going to make sure that happens," Hanna said. "It's just a change now."

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