AUBURN — A meal pickup service rolled out at the start of the pandemic will be scaled back due to funding, city administration said.

After operating the “Grab N Go” meal service out of the Auburn Senior Community Center since March, City Manager Phil Crowell said the program will soon operate “in a new capacity” as a grocery delivery service run out of the PAL Center on Chestnut Street.

The program began as a twice-a-week meal pickup service, where volunteers prepped meals for the general public to conduct curbside pickup. But, with the limited funding now dried up, and food now costing the city, it will only remain an option for income-qualified residents.

Crowell said that’s because the city will use Community Development Block Grant funding to continue purchasing food from the Good Shepherd Food Bank, and can only use the funding if participants qualify under the CDBG income limits.

The council used previously-approved funding for food insecurity toward the initial rollout of the program, and Auburn had previously received food from the food bank at no cost, but that changed on Sept. 1, Mayor Jason Levesque said.

During a brief council discussion Tuesday, Levesque said he’s proud of Auburn’s meal program, which he said was one of the first city-run food assistance programs to pop up in the early days of the pandemic.

But, he said, it was “designed to be a stop-gap and a short-term solution.”

Levesque said the city is not equipped to be “a long-term provider of food,” and that the city should instead focus on supporting local nonprofits who are more experienced in running food programs. He said the overall issue of food insecurity in Auburn needs to be addressed, but that the meal service was only designed as a response to the pandemic.

Despite the proposed changes, several councilors pushed back, stating they believed the program was benefiting families who are still dealing with pandemic-related hardships even as COVID-19 cases remain low in the region.

In recent weeks, the program operated by the Recreation Department had been reduced to offering a once-a-week meal pickup, using less space at the senior center. But, according to Recreation Director Sabrina Best, the program still had a roster of 118 households taking advantage of the weekly pickup.

Under the CDBG requirements, 51 have so far qualified, but she said more will likely be approved.

“I want to make sure the elders in the community aren’t being left out,” Councilor Holly Lasagna said.

Councilor Belinda Gerry said seniors on fixed incomes have been taking advantage of the meals to supplement their food during the pandemic, especially as food prices have risen.

“In my mind we should at least continue this at least until we go back to normal and we’re not worrying about the virus,” she said.

According to a council memo, the new setup would utilize fewer staff, with the city only needing between one and three volunteers to help deliver groceries throughout the week.

Crowell said the meal program was designed to be a safe alternative to the grocery store if people did not feel comfortable going inside.

“We’re beyond that,” he said. “I think a lot of good systems for safety have been put in place, so I think we’ve met that need.”

He said the believes “the best thing to do at this point is focus on priority families.”

Councilor Leroy Walker said he believed the timing was right for the program to shift in its scope and location, and said special meal events and opportunities could still be organized at the senior center.

Councilors Tim MacLeod and Katie Boss said they’d like to see the program continue.

“Is it true or not true that the ‘Grab N Go’ offers a safer option for receiving food compared to grocery stores?” Boss said.

Despite the debate, the council left the decision up to Crowell under his authority during a civil state of emergency.

Levesque said the decision “is something that can’t take weeks,” especially as the city is still trying to serve its most vulnerable residents.

Best said if an Auburn resident is in need of a food supplement program, they should reach out to the Auburn Recreation Department to see if they qualify.

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