Frequently Asked Questions - 2025 Elder Nutrition millage proposal

July 3, 2025 | By Emilie Jacques

Below are questions that were asked at our 17 public information sessions, submitted through this web form or discussed in personal conversations our staff have had.

FAQs

If the millage proposal passes, what will the tax money be used for?

Funding from the millage would be dedicated entirely to supporting the operational expenses of Meals on Wheels in Houghton County.

If passed, Meals on Wheels will (1) immediately address the current waiting list in Houghton County and eliminate the likelihood of a waiting list in the future, (2) ensure the continuation of existing services and expand similar services to additional Houghton County service areas, (3) ensure every senior in Houghton County has the opportunity for at least a weekly nutritious meal delivery and a friendly personal contact and (4) enhance and increase the number of Meet & Eat and meal pick-up locations throughout Houghton County.

Meals on Wheels’ annual operational expenses do not include capital investments such as kitchen equipment, building upgrades, or administrative support provided by Copper Shores, including expenses related to marketing, finance, grant acquisition, human resources, or fundraising Copper Shores Community Health Foundation has committed to covering those expenses now and into the future. For example, we’re currently in the process of fixing the roof, heating and cooling system, and other utilities in the building that houses our Meals on Wheels kitchen.

How much money will the millage bring in for Meals on Wheels?

The Houghton County Assessor estimates that 1.0 mills will result in an estimated tax revenue collection of $1,237,399.25 in the first year the millage is levied.

Will the millage cover all of the costs of the program?

No. We estimate costs will be $2 million per year to bring Meals on Wheels to all of Houghton County. Currently, we have a contract with Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) for just under $275,000. Our fundraising target is $150,000 per year with Copper Shores continuing to spend $300,000 a year.

How much will it cost the average household?

According to the Houghton County Assessor, the average homeowner will pay $45.05 (based on the 2025 average residential taxable value in Houghton County, $45,540). If your property’s taxable value is $100,000, you would pay $100 per year. If you want to see what your home's taxable value is, Houghton County recommends using BS&A Online. You can also reach out to your local township, village or city to request that information.

How long will Copper Shores be asking for this millage?

Four years. If the program expansion goes as planned, we will ask the community to continue to support the program after the initial four years. We will also continue to seek alternative funding sources to supplement the program.

Does this millage cover all four counties in the Copper Shores service area?

No. This specific millage proposal is to support seniors only in Houghton County. Houghton County voters are not voting for all four counties in the service area; they are only voting on whether or not to pass an Elder Nutrition Services millage in Houghton County.

How will you serve every person in Houghton County who qualifies?

There will be a variety of approaches: (1) Additional delivery routes for home-delivered meals, (2) new Meet & Eat locations, (3) access to weekly frozen meals and (4) access to take-out meals from Meet & Eat locations.

This funding will allow us flexibility in how these programs work, meaning we could go to some communities once, twice or three times a week instead of being required to visit five days a week like we do on our current federally funded routes. We could also bring extra meals with us to Meet & Eat sites for drivers to deliver after a congregate meal or have volunteers deliver them.

For example, the needs in Bootjack might not be the same as Hancock Township, Twin Lakes or Kenton. Ultimately, we will work with each community to create an appropriate plan to make sure all Houghton County seniors who need the service are served.

What happens if this millage doesn’t pass?

The Meals on Wheels program will have to be scaled appropriately to maintain its longevity. Copper Shores envisions investing $300,000 a year in the program in addition to grants, fundraising efforts and federal funding. That will result in the waiting list continuing to exist and likely continuing to grow. Meals on Wheels will have to slowly scale back the number of seniors served per day as inflation and costs increase over time. Seniors living outside of the Meals on Wheels current service areas will continue to go without this service.

What are the eligibility requirements to be part of Meals on Wheels?

Individuals must be 60 years or older. To receive home-delivered meals, the individual must also be home-bound and require at least some assistance with Activities of Daily Living (cooking, bathing, doing house-hold chores like cleaning and laundry, handling finances, using the stairs, and driving). All seniors meet with our Program Assessor to determine level of need and if other community services are necessary.

Does Meals on Wheels reject people from the program? If so, why?

Sometimes. Our Assessor follows a detailed process and meets every person face-to-face, assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the level of assistance. ADLs include dressing and grooming, bathing, stair climbing, shopping, handling finances, using private transportation, doing laundry and more. Seniors are always encouraged to attend the Meet & Eat sites if they don’t qualify for home-delivered meal services.

How many meals does the program serve each senior per day?

Most seniors receive one nutritionally balanced meal every weekday.

Our meals are developed alongside Copper Shores Community Health Educator, Meghan Jaszczak, who is a registered dietitian, to ensure we are meeting proper nutrition guidelines. We are required to meet 1/3 of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for individuals ages >50, which is the average daily dietary intake level needed to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy persons of a certain life stage. These nutrition guidelines are set forth by the Food and Nutrition Board, which is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Do seniors ever make monetary donations?

Yes. Meals on Wheels suggests a donation of $8 per meal, but does not require that anyone pay for the service. Some seniors request a "bill" that they pay in full each month. Other seniors do not have the means to make a donation. Some seniors have even made donations to cover the costs of a fellow senior.

Will these funds be used to support Keweenaw County residents?

No. If this millage request passes, 100% of the funding will be used for Houghton County Meals on Wheels operations.

Will Copper Shores get a millage in Keweenaw County?

At this point, there are no plans to ask Keweenaw County voters for a similar millage.

Do Ontonagon and Baraga Counties have an elder nutrition millage?

Ontonagon and Baraga counties currently have millages to support elder nutrition.

Why start in Houghton County and not Keweenaw County?

Approximately 90% of the people Copper Shores Meals on Wheels currently serves live in Houghton County.

Will these funds be used for other areas of Copper Shores operations?

No. If this millage request passes, 100% of the funding will be used for Houghton County Meals on Wheels operations. Copper Shores will continue to provide support for capital investments and mission-critical work like accounting, human resources, and marketing at no cost to the program. The millage funds will not be used to offset any of those costs.

Does Copper Shores Meals on Wheels know the demand outside of current service areas?

Based on surveys of current participants, U.S. census data, and requests for services, we estimate the demand in Houghton County to be at least double our current service output. We do not have exact numbers within each township.

What is UPCAP?

UPCAP stands for Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress. The organization serves as the Upper Peninsula Area Agency on Aging. They are a regional coordinating body, advocate, and focal point for aging services and aging resources to senior citizens in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Where does UPCAP receive funding from?

UPCAP is a nonprofit that receives money from the federal government, grants and donors. The federal funding flows through UPCAP from the state level and then to direct program providers like Copper Shores Meals on Wheels.

What is the UPCAP grant?

Each year, Copper Shores Meals on Wheels receives funding from UPCAP to help offset operational program costs, The year-to-year funding can change, based on a complex formula used to allocate funding across the United States.

Is Copper Shores a private company?

No. Copper Shores is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We are a public foundation, not a private foundation. Learn more about the difference between a public and private foundation.

Copper Shores has north of $70 million in assets. Why do you need this millage?**

The endowment at Copper Shores Community Health Foundation is where our funding comes from each year. You can think of it like a retirement fund. If we used all of the funds in it, we wouldn’t have any money left to do additional work. We started out with $32 million in funding and through more than 11 years, we’ve invested more than $35 million into our community through grants, scholarships, sponsorships and direct programming.

Currently, our endowment sits at $75 million dollars. We have an investment policy in place (that you can view at coppershores.org/transparency) that allows us to draw 4 percent of our endowment each year, giving us an annual budget of around $3 million. That money, in addition to community contributions and grants, funds all of our direct programming, granting and scholarships. for Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. Meals on Wheels is only one of our programs. Currently, Copper Shores has been putting around $1 million a year into this program, and that is not a sustainable option since this is just one of our areas of focus and it doesn’t even cover the entire service area of our foundation.

Our mission is to positively influence a more healthful community through enhanced philanthropy and collaboration. We serve four counties, and we will continue to invest in our Meals on Wheels program, but at a much more appropriate level of around $300,000 a year. Our hope is this millage, combined with our annual contribution, the federal government contribution and contributions from individual and corporate donors, will help this program serve all of Houghton County.

What is an endowment?

An endowment fund is like a savings account for a nonprofit organization that people donate to for general or specific causes. These funds can include money, stocks, real estate, life insurance, retirement accounts and other assets. The money made from these investments is used to run the organization, and the rest is saved and reinvested to keep growing the funds to ensure the longevity of the foundation’s operations.

Watch this video for more information.

Does Meals on Wheels have an endowment?

There is no endowment dedicated specifically to support Meals on Wheels programming. However, Copper Shores has a general endowment from which the annual budget for all programming, including Meals on Wheels.

Would Copper Shores continue to financially support Meals on Wheels?

Yes. A millage passage will not excuse Copper Shores from providing appropriate funding support for elder programming. In addition to continued financial support for the program, capital investments in needed facilities, staffing and other services will remain an organizational priority. We foresee continuing to spend at least $300,000 a year on Elder Nutrition support, in addition to needed capital expenses and covering administrative overhead like human resources, marketing, fundraising, and finances.

What about the $21.7 million designation from the state of Michigan?**

Recently it was announced by the Michigan Attorney General that Copper Shores has been designated as the organization to receive the $21.7 million shortfall from LifePoint Health. At this point we have not received the funds, and we do not know when (or if) we will. Those funds, if they do come through, are designated to go directly into Copper Shores’ endowment fund, from which the foundation draws out an annual budget for all programing, grants, scholarships, etc.

Why can’t you raise the needed money via fundraising?

We have raised more money for the program each year since it arrived under our umbrella in 2020. We’re proud of that. We’ll continue efforts to raise money to support seniors in our community, regardless of the outcome of the millage vote. However, we’re still nowhere near the level of fundraising needed to cover the costs in the already-established service areas, much less to expand to serve seniors throughout the entire county. Remember, we serve more than 94,000 meals a year, with the vast majority of them delivered to the doors of the seniors on our list.

This is a huge undertaking. Asking for a millage to support this effort is extremely common for Meals on Wheels programs across the country. In Michigan alone 78 of 83 counties have a millage in place that supports elder services like Meals on Wheels. Houghton County is one of only two in the Upper Peninsula that currently don’t have a millage like this.

We are looking for a sustainable and stable funding source to help our senior community live at home as long as possible. We feel this millage is the best way to move forward.

How can we track how these public funds are being used?

Transparency is vital to Copper Shores. If passed, Copper Shores will create a public dashboard that is updated quarterly at coppershores.org. Our previous audits, 990s, investment policy and more can be viewed at coppershores.org/transparency. You can also see a list of our Board of Directors on our website. Our board directors are all active members of the Copper Country community.

Considering you already have tens of millions in assets, what is your investment in dedicated fundraising staff, resources, and campaigns compared to your overall budget? Why aren't more resources allocated to traditional non-profit fundraising to generate these funds?**

Currently Copper Shores has three people that have fundraising directly as part of their role. In 2023 we brought in more than $1 million through fundraising efforts, including more than $130,000 for Meals on Wheels directly. We believe we have an appropriate level of fundraising staff to do what we’re doing right now.

How much do you receive in donations annually?

In 2023, we received more than $130,000 in donations for our Meals on Wheels program. That amount has gone up every year since Meals on Wheels became part of Copper Shores. The majority of those donations come from participant contributions, but there are also many other corporate and individual donors.

Copper Shores currently covers the $685,121 shortfall for Meals on Wheels. So if taxpayers pay for this, what will this 685K be used for instead?**

If passed, the funding that Copper Shores does not spend on Meals on Wheels operating expenses will remain invested in the general endowment fund where it can grow in value to be used at a later time or it will be used for other Copper Shores programming and other local senior programming. Established in 2013, Copper Shores’ endowment fund has consistently grown while outpacing inflation, starting at $32 million and currently valued at more than $70 million, all while investing more than $35 million back in the community.

Will this millage ever be for more money?

No. The State of Michigan caps all senior service millages levied by a local governing body at one mill.

If you need to raise this money, why are you spending funds on things like sponsoring mobile food pantries, granting money to youth summer programming, funding scholarships, putting $200,000 toward the #GiveCopperCountry Amplification Fund each year and offering grants to volunteer firefighters/first responders?**

Copper Shores has a long history with many commitments to our four-county service area, including Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. The foundation is made up of three long-standing organizations, Portage Health Foundation (PHF), Dial Help and Copper Country Senior Meals (CCSM) - collectively rebranded under Copper Shores Community Health Foundation in 2023. This partnership was made to keep the programming previously offered by CCSM and Dial Help available for Copper Country residents.

As such, Copper Shores maintains the commitments of each former organization, providing community grants and scholarships as PHF had, offering pre- and postvention mental health and victim support services as Dial Help had and serving local homebound seniors as CCSM had. In addition, we have added more programming like our Bridges program to help people in generational poverty find stability in their lives through education and community building.

While Copper Shores cannot meet every need in the community, we strive to support other organizations and nonprofits that can fill those gaps, working together to make the Copper Country a better place for everyone.

What else is under the Copper Shores umbrella?

Copper Shores serves residents of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon counties with a broad array of services and programming. We offer mental health and suicide prevention training, addiction recovery coaching, classes that help people get out of generational poverty, a sexual assault response team and Child Advocacy Center for children that are victims of sexual violence, fund community grants and scholarships for local students, raising money and awareness for our community’s nonprofit organizations through our GivingTuesday campaign and more. If you want to keep up with everything we have going on, we’d love for you to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter by visiting coppershores.org/newsletter.

Why doesn’t your program rely on volunteers?

For many of the seniors we serve, their delivery driver is the only person they see on a daily basis. Because our drivers are dedicated to delivering on one route, they see and talk to the same seniors every day. Though they are not medical professionals, our drivers are keenly aware of the habits and behaviors that seniors on their route display, and are often the first to notice when something has changed and a 911 call may be necessary. It is the routine relationship between drivers and seniors that has saved many lives.

We do have volunteers for specific tasks, events and fundraisers. Enthusiasm for the program is abundant, but there is not enough availability amongst the local population to fill all the needs on a daily basis.

How does this work with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly?

Little Brothers and Copper Shores are two separate organizations, but work closely together, often serving many of the same seniors. Socialization is a key component of the brief, daily check-ins with Meals on Wheels delivery drivers, while Little Brothers’ primary focus is combating senior isolation. Both organizations connect seniors with each other when they find out the senior is in need of additional services. This millage proposal was developed by an external committee outside of Copper Shores, which includes a representative member of Little Brothers.

If passed, the funding from the millage would allow Copper Shores to use more of the annual budget to support other local senior service organizations like Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly and Omega House.

Would this allow for any other senior services to be added in Houghton County?

Directly, this funding would allow Meals on Wheels to expand and add home-delivered meal routes, open more Meet & Eat sites, and implement meal pick-up locations based on each community’s individual needs.

Indirectly, if passed, the funding would allow Copper Shores to use more of its annual budget to support other local senior service organizations like Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly and Omega House.

I thought the Older Americans Act made this a right for all older Americans? Why would we need a tax?

The Older Americans Act did make social and nutritional services a right for all older Americans; however, it does not specify how this type of programming is to be paid for, or by whom. Because all older Americans have a right to this service, we cannot, and do not want to, charge seniors for their meals and check-ins. With no clear funding, most Meals on Wheels operations around the country are also dependent on local funding, like millages.

Why is nutrition an important factor in aging?

Nutrition is a very important component of healthful aging, especially for those who hope to stay independent in their homes. Adequate nutrition reduces the fall risk for seniors, promotes physical and cognitive functions, and lowers overall healthcare costs.

“As we age, we are more likely to experience loss of muscle mass, reducing our mobility and ability to live independently. Older adults need higher levels of calcium to help ensure bones stay strong and minimize the risk of developing osteoporosis and/or fractures, both of which are more likely to occur as we age. Additionally, most adults (older and otherwise) do not meet their daily recommended intake for fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digesting nutrients, feeling and staying full, regulating blood sugar, and can reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer.” - Meghan Jaszczak, R.D., Copper Shores Community Health Educator.

How does socialization impact aging?

Socialization is a key factor in promoting both positive mental and physical health. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are linked to increased risk for diseases.

The Surgeon General released a report in 2023, titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” detailing the health outcomes negatively impacted by a lack of connection and community. According to “Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review,” there is a 29% and 26% increased likelihood for early death due to isolation and loneliness, respectively.

We survey our participants every year to gauge program satisfaction and areas for improvement. For the seniors that attend our Meet & Eat sites, 85% reported that attending the group meal helps reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

A 1.0 millage for elder nutrition services appears to be one of the highest, if not the highest, proposed millage rates specifically for this purpose across the entire State of Michigan. With the average senior millage for the 80 counties that have them being approximately 0.5821 mills, can you provide a comprehensive comparison with other counties and precisely justify why Houghton County requires such a significantly higher rate (nearly double the average) than most other communities to support its senior nutrition program?**

Copper Shores has reviewed several elder nutrition millages across the state, and found that many of the counties that have a lower millage rate are all struggling immensely to provide meaningful and adequate programming. Especially considering many of these programs don’t serve the entire county that is paying the taxes.

A couple examples of what this leads to can be found in counties near us.

In August of 2024, Marquette county voters approved the renewal of a 2018 senior services proposal at .4474 mill for 2024-2029. Despite voters’ overwhelming support for the millage (83.8% yes), the executive director of Community Action Alger Marquette recommended disbanding the Meals on Wheels program in June of 2025 due to shortcomings in funding.
In 2020, Baraga County voters supported the renewal of a 5 year millage for Senior Citizens Assistance (77.6% yes) at 1 mill, ending in 2022, to be renewed for 2023-2027. Again, despite voter support, funding is not keeping pace with the growing need for senior nutrition services, and in September of 2023, Baraga County congregate meal sites were closed, with participants being automatically enrolled in Dickinson Iron Community Services Agency’s home-delivered meal program. These home-delivered meals aren’t equal to what we’re offering as well because they’re most often a mail order meal that doesn’t include any social aspects. One congregate meal site re-opened in January of 2025, and while positive, does not meet the full need of the county.

While funding exclusively from the millage, if passed, will not be enough for Copper Shores to provide what it considers meaningful and adequate programming, the general endowment fund, federal funding and fundraising efforts will cover the costs of this program serving all of Houghton County.

Given these significant existing assets and recent large state funding, what specific programs or services would not be possible without this millage, and why can't those be funded from your current substantial reserves or this new state award?**

If this millage is approved by voters, the waiting list will be immediately addressed and Meals on Wheels services will be expanded to all of Houghton County. These things are not possible without the millage passing.

Recently it was announced by the Michigan Attorney General that Copper Shores has been designated as the organization to receive the $21.7 million shortfall from LifePoint Health. At this point we have not received it and we do not know when (or if) we will. Those funds, if they do come through, are designated to go directly into Copper Shores’ endowment fund, from which the foundation draws out an annual budget for all programing, grants, scholarships, etc. Those funds, if they do come through, will allow Copper Shores to have a larger annual contribution to the Meals on Wheels program.

How will you ensure that the millage funds do not simply supplant existing funding sources, allowing your substantial assets to grow even further rather than being directly invested in community programs?**

If passed, the funding provided from the millage alone will not be enough to cover the operational costs of the Meals on Wheels program. This does not excuse Copper Shores from providing appropriate funding support for elder programming.

Houghton County estimates that 1.0 mills will result in an estimated tax revenue collection of $1,237,399.25 in the first year the millage is levied. Program expenditures in 2023 exceeded $1.25 million. With the intent of expanding services, the operational costs will go up. As such, continued financial support for the program, capital investments in needed facilities, staffing and other services will remain an organizational priority, paid for by the Copper Shores endowment.

Funding from the proposed millage would go specifically to Meals on Wheels programming, not including any capital investments such as kitchen equipment, upgrades to the buildings, etc. or administrative support provided by Copper Shores, including expenses related to marketing, finances, grant acquisition, human resources, fundraising, etc.offset the operational costs, leaving more funds available in the general endowment to grow in perpetuity, so that Meals on Wheels and other Copper shores’ programs continue to exist well into the future.

If Houghton County taxpayers approve this millage, Copper Shores Community Health Foundation will receive significant public funds. However, unlike traditional public bodies, your organization is not subject to Michigan's Open Meetings Act, meaning your board meetings and deliberations are not required to be open to the public, nor are you subject to the Freedom of Information Act, which grants citizens access to public records. How do you justify asking for public tax dollars without providing the same level of transparency and public accountability that the Open Meetings Act and FOIA would require from a truly public entity?**

Transparency is vital to Copper Shores. Our previous audits, 990s, investment policy and more can be viewed any time at coppershores.org/transparency.

If passed, Copper Shores will create a public dashboard that is updated quarterly at coppershores.org. Because Copper Shores values public opinion, we have hosted 17 public information sessions across the county, welcoming all community members to bring any questions and concerns they have about the 2025 Elder Nutrition Services millage proposal.

As a public charity, Copper Shores must continually solicit donations and demonstrate to the IRS that at least ⅓ of annual contributions come from the general public. Therefore, it is in Copper Shores' best interest to demonstrate accountability and maintain a positive track record, ensuring long-term and continued support from the community.

How do you ensure that seeking a public millage does not disincentivize or replace your responsibility to actively fundraise from other sources, which is a core function of a sustainable non-profit?**

We do not have the option to stop actively fundraising from other sources. As a public charity, Copper Shores must continually solicit donations and demonstrate to the IRS that at least ⅓ of annual contributions come from the general public. Even if Copper Shores did have the option, we would still solicit donations. Our hope is to bring Meals on Wheels to all Houghton County residents who want and need it.

What else is on the ballot?

County Jail and County Building Improvement Bond Proposal, Tax Limitation Renewal Proposition for Operation of the Canal View, and the Copper Country Intermediate School District Bond Proposal.

For more information about upcoming elections, visit michigan.gov/sos/elections.
To find your clerk, polling place, and sample ballots, visit mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index.

** These questions have been directly copy/pasted from submission by community members on the informational page we have on the Elder Nutrition millage proposal. We cannot verify the accuracy of the assertions made in them.