The SAC (Sequoyah, Adair, Cherokee) Nutrition Program budget has been cut by $170,000, Don Butcher, program director, told county commissioners at their Monday meeting, but Butcher said the program will try to cut staff, not meals for the elderly and homebound.

State Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau), in a press release last week, said he was calling upon state leaders to hold a special session to stop the $7 million budget cuts from the state’s senior nutrition centers. But Butcher said the reversal will most likely be brought up when the legislature meets at the beginning of the new year.

Butcher said Monday the SAC Nutrition Program is being cut by one third, but he plans on continuing to serve 280 meals daily at the five Sequoyah County nutrition sites in his program. The nutrition sites are in Sallisaw, Roland, Muldrow, Vian and Gore.

“Our cut was devastating,” Butcher told the commissioners.

But Butcher said he and his staff are making plans to maintain the program for senior citizens and the homebound. He said the plans are to lay off some employees — those who are nearing retirement and the most recently hired.

“And that’s hard, that’s hard to do for these people,” he said. “We will also double up on routes (for home-delivered meals) and get some volunteers.”

Anyone who wants to volunteer for the program, Butcher said, should go to their nearest nutrition site. To volunteer to deliver meals to the homebound, drivers must have a current driver’s license and insurance.

Butcher said the program is reimbursed for some meals, for those in the ADvantage program and on Medicaid, and money has not been cut from that program.

He said the nutrition program is also taking advantage of other programs, such as the Cherokee Nation’s work program and the Experience Works program, which provides work for older people and pays their salaries.

“We hope we can maintain these meals and program,” Butcher said.

Butcher said the nutrition program is not planning to close sites, but may have to in the future if the funding isn’t maintained.

“We’re doing everything we can do to deal with it,” Butcher said.

The Sequoyah County Nutrition Program serves 3,826 meals per month, which is one meal per day for five days each week. About half of those meals are home delivered and more than half are served at the county’s five nutrition centers.

In his press release Corn said, “If this stands, many of our elderly are going to go hungry and risk their health and independence. To me that is absolutely unacceptable. No one should go without the food they need to live.”