The nonprofit Viet America Society failed to meet a March 14 deadline to provide county officials with documentation showing it properly spent more than $4 million in taxpayer funds intended to feed seniors during the pandemic, a county spokesperson said.
County officials confirmed Thursday evening and again on Friday that Viet America Society had missed the deadline and the county was discussing how to respond, which could include requiring that the money be paid back.
Orange County officials sent Viet America Society warning letters last month, giving the organization 30 days to provide the documentation. The money is associated with two county contracts, both for nutrition services using federal pandemic relief funds.
The county in its warning letters said papers filed May 17, 2023, by Viet America Society did not contain required information such as the number of meals delivered and number of residents served.
One county letter also said the organization was delinquent in providing an audit required by the federal government after spending more than $750,000. According to the letters, the county had requested the federally required “single audit” reports from Viet America Society at least nine times between September 2023 and January 2024, but had yet to receive them.
OC Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said Thursday evening he had not been briefed on what would be the next steps if Viet America Society fails to produce the documents. He said it should be handled like any other contract would be, and that could include giving Viet America Society more time.
Meanwhile, bilingual services from Viet America Society, which also does business as Warner Wellness, have been suspended by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, Orange County as of March 5 because of “delinquent admin paperwork required per contract,” Amy Durham, NAMI CEO, said in an email Thursday afternoon.
NAMI operates the county’s mental health WarmLine and had hired Warner…
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