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
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.
"One lady lives way out in the country, we take it out to her. Another gentleman is 95 now, lives by himself, we take them to him," Warner said.
Jim Pearl, who works with Good News Kitchen and the St. Johns food pantry The Basic Needs Center, said February 2026 saw a 27% increase in neighbors served at the center compared to a year ago.
"We've seen an increase in need across all the age groups. One of the things with seniors - they struggle often with asking for help," Pearl said.
Providing that help comes with its own challenges. Deliveries are currently limited to the St. Johns area, with only so much space in Warner's vehicle and only so many volunteers available. Warner said additional support could help them reach even more seniors in need.
"It'd be very helpful," Warner said.
As volunteers work to close the gap, lawmakers in Washington are considering a proposal aimed at helping communities like St. Johns. The bipartisan Delivering for Rural Seniors Act would create a pilot program to expand home-delivered food options for low-income seniors, especially in rural areas.
For now, Warner said capacity remains the biggest barrier.
"Right now, like I said - we have 116 and that is all that we can get into the vehicle. That's all we can get in. So we've had to tell them we can't take on anymore because I can't get anymore in the truck," Warner said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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