LYNNWOOD, Wash — Ed Reuter loads his van every day with food for Meals on Wheels. The program is a lifeline for people as the coronavirus pandemic stretches on.
"You can tell there's a lot of need out there," Reuter said. "They really appreciate getting it. They let you know."
The two food programs run by Homage Senior Services in Lynnwood are serving an additional 8,000 meals every month since the start of the pandemic.
Across Snohomish County, the number of meals served by Meals on Wheels workers has increased by 216% since spring.
That number is now rising with federal funding at risk of running out.
It has been nearly nine months since Congress passed a relief package that keeps programs like Meals of Wheels on the road.
That money is scheduled to expire later this month. The future of that funding remains unknown.
"Nobody has a crystal ball for 2021, so it is something that we're worried about," said Leah Hammon, who runs the nutrition program for Homage Senior Services.
With COVID-19 cases surging, so is the number of people turning to mobile food services for help.
Hammon said letting the funding expire simply isn't an option.
"For some folks, our food might be the only thing they eat in a day or the only food they have access to. So, that speaks for itself," Hammon said. "Projecting the first six months of 2021, running out of money is a concern, especially if we continue to serve at this higher demand."
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the nation's capitol unveiled a compromise coronavirus relief package totaling $908 billion. The proposal is about half of what Democrats asked for earlier this year and would run through March.
Whether the Meals on Wheels program would be included wasn't immediately clear.
For now, Reuter continues his daily rounds -- hoping he'll be able to keep doing so for as long as he's needed.
"There's people in rough situations out there who are really in need," he said.
The hope is that some kind of relief package will be passed by Congress before members return home to celebrate the holidays and enjoy meals with their own families.