Fluvanna seniors are beginning to feel the effects of the county's sweeping budget cuts. The board of supervisors chopped funding for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) and JAUNT bus service back in May.
The county decided to cut funds for JABA and JAUNT, then gave back some money to both nonprofits after an outpouring of anger from the community. But that cash is not enough to keep the programs going.
Fluvanna cut JABA's funding in half. Which means, beginning this week, JABA is cutting its community center hours in half. The two-day program is down to just one day a week. The Fork Union facility will be open on Wednesdays only.
JABA directors say this reduction means 30 to 35 seniors will have one less day receiving care from the on-site nurse, and get one less nutritious meal a week.
JABA Community Centers manager Emily Daidone said, "It's hard for them. This is their livelihood. This is what they look forward to each and every week, and to have that taken away is very difficult. I think they're going to do what they've got to do to continue to get together and find a way to interact with each other."
JABA's seniors will be back in the center for the first time this Wednesday. They're already organizing a fundraising campaign to try to open the center another day, perhaps hosted in a church.
Meanwhile, JAUNT combined two commuter routes into one - which means longer ride times to get around the county. The bus service also reduced its mid-day route to Charlottesville from three days to just one day a week.
Those cuts started a week ago, and JAUNT says it has already lost some riders.
