Everfull
Everfull has informed employees, participants, and volunteers that the South-Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SCKAAA) is in the process of terminating its contract with Everfull.
Effective July 18,000 meals per month will no longer be provided to seniors at 22 locations in Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, McPherson, Sumner, Reno, and Rice counties by Everfull.
SCKAAA is a contractor of the state of Kansas for the federal Older Americans Act Title III C1 (congregate “Friendship Meals”) and C2 (home-delivered meals “Meals on Wheels”). Everfull is a nonprofit organization that has provided these meals for SCKAAA as their subcontractor since 1974.
Background
Since March 2025, Everfull has been working with SCKAAA to avoid disruption of critical senior nutrition programs known as Friendship Meals and Meals on Wheels in the ten counties. After three months of attempting to work through complex financial issues, SCKAAA made the decision on June 3 to begin termination of Everfull’s contract to provide services in the ten counties effective June 30, 2025.
While details of this contract cancellation continue to be determined, Everfull must make plans to wind down operations in these ten counties to guarantee the survival of these necessary services in the other counties served. Everfull meal services in Butler, Harvey, and Sedgwick counties are funded by the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) and will continue to operate as normal and without interruption.
“We are surprised and saddened at this decision by SCKAAA,” Charles Johnston, Executive Director stated. “In their verbal contract termination, SCKAAA stated that they are planning to provide meal services on July 1, 2025, which leads us to believe they have identified funding to make that possible, but we have no information.”
What’s Next
“Everfull remains ready to re-establish an equitable collaboration and partnership should the SCKAAA Board of Directors desire to reverse course,” Johnston affirmed. “Limited time remains for Everfull to be able to wait for this decision to be reversed by the SCKAAA Board. Our employees, participants, volunteers, and communities deserve clarity, even if it is not the outcome anyone hoped for.
Everfull grieves the loss of our Friendship Meals and Meals on Wheels programs in Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, McPherson, Sumner, Reno, and Rice counties. If these communities desire Friendship Meals or Meals on Wheels provided by Everfull to continue, Everfull recommends three courses of action:
1. Contact SCKAAA to express your interest in the Board reversing its decision.
2. Donate to Everfull to close the budget gap.
3. Counties or communities contact Everfull to establish a local meal program outside of SCKAAA and state/federal funding mechanisms.
President of the Board of Director of Everfull, Lucy Heller, ended saying, “We are disappointed but determined to move forward with anyone willing to collaborate, acknowledge financial realities, and support the provision of the highest quality services for the lowest expense, yielding excellent return on investment of taxpayer dollars and donations.”