Federal support is essential to the operations of organizations like Meals on Wheels. However, many people were unaware of whether they would be impacted and, if so, what to do next due to the White House’s unclear messaging.
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Tarrant County Meals on Wheels was one of the many nonprofits worried about their funding after a federal funding freeze was announced.
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President Donald Trump’s executive order was blocked by a judge minutes before it was set to take effect Tuesday afternoon.
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Local Meals on Wheels organizers quickly grew concerned that the order would affect their funding. But by the afternoon, they were told it appeared that the non-profit was exempt from the order.
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Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins believes most county programs will align with requirements but did point out that some solar energy grants it s applied for might go against the president s energy plans.
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Tarrant County Meals on Wheels was one of the many nonprofits worried about their funding after a federal funding freeze was announced.
-
President Donald Trump’s executive order was blocked by a judge minutes before it was set to take effect Tuesday afternoon.
-
Local Meals on Wheels organizers quickly grew concerned that the order would affect their funding. But by the afternoon, they were told it appeared that the non-profit was exempt from the order.
-
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins believes most county programs will align with requirements but did point out that some solar energy grants it s applied for might go against the president s energy plans.
DALLAS—Nonprofits were in a panic after hearing about a federal funding freeze, fearing they would soon be shut off.
Federal support is essential to the operations of organizations like Meals on Wheels. However, many people were unaware of whether they would be impacted and, if so, what to do next due to the White House’s unclear messaging.
Organizations spent the day attempting to determine whether a portion of their money was just hours away from being cut off, even after a federal court halted the freeze from going into force on Tuesday afternoon.
As the Trump administration attempts to implement the plan, there are still concerns.
Pres. Trump’s Executive Order
We know:
According to the directive, almost $3 trillion of the $10 trillion the federal government spent in fiscal year 2024 went into grants and loans.
In her first news briefing, White House news Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to clarify the president’s intentions Tuesday.
“He s just trying to ensure that the tax money going out the door in this very bankrupt city actually aligns with the will and the priorities of the American people,” she stated to reporters.
Programs impacted by the president’s executive orders on subjects ranging from immigration to DEI would be subject to the freeze, according to a Trump administration memo.
One of the presidential orders that was referenced is called “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
In particular, the White House stated that food stamps, welfare programs, Medicare, and social security would not be impacted.
Highlighted
States report Medicaid outage amid federal funding drama
President Donald Trump’s plan to suspend federal grants and loans worth trillions of dollars has been temporarily halted by a federal judge.
Meals on Wheels Impact
Local viewpoint:
The federal government provides 37% of the financing for Meals on Wheels nationwide.
Every day, 7,000 people receive food from Tarrant County Meals on Wheels.
According to Keith Harrison of the nonprofit organization in Fort Worth, “We provide daily safety checks and lifesaving meals to people who are unable to provide meals for themselves and really have no one to do it for them.”
Panic hit a number of nonprofit organizations Tuesday morning as it was announced that President Donald Trump had ordered the suspension of federal grant, loan, and financial aid programs.
Harrison remarked, “It caused a lot of concern this morning,”
However, Meals on Wheels discovered by Tuesday afternoon that it seems to be immune from the order. U.S. Office of Management and Budget clarified that “any program that provides direct benefits to individuals is not subject to the pause.”
“There s still a lot of confusion around the executive order,” Harrison stated. “I don t want to speculate on what might happen when we don t have all of the facts.”
Meals on Wheels is thankful that it seems to be able to continue operating normally for the time being.
“We are solely focused on providing nutritious meals so that our clients can continue to live independently,” Harrison stated.
Dallas County Addresses Confusion
What they’re saying:
In an attempt to clear up some of the confusion, Dallas County Clay Jenkins held a press conference Tuesday afternoon, although he even acknowledged that he wasn’t entirely sure what the freeze would mean.
“Your guess is as good as mine as to what that means, but I m pretty sure we re not involved in that,” he stated.
Jenkins said that some of the solar energy awards it has sought for may conflict with the president’s energy objectives, but he thinks the majority of county initiatives will comply with regulations.
Saying, “This is an evolving situation,”
Next steps:
Several NGOs filed a case that led to the judge’s administrative stay. The obstruction will remain in place until Monday afternoon.
In the next days, there will probably be further clarification.
The Associated Press, national news coverage, Tuesday’s White House press briefing, and Tarrant County Meals on Wheels are the sources of the information in this article.
