Margie Maccoll
Tewantin-Noosa Meals on Wheels has felt the impact of Covid on the community through the steep increase of demand on their service.
The number of meals they deliver weekly has increased 50 per cent since Covid appeared in 2020 with a noticeable increase occurring recently.
The Noosaville-based service provides a vital service, delivering 570 to 600 meals each week to clients who may be frail, aged, younger disabled and their carers who find it difficult due to age, infirmity or medical condition to prepare their own meals.
With more than 3000 recorded Covid cases in Noosa vulnerable people have been advised to stay home.
“They just don’t want to go out, go shopping,” facilitator Sharran said. “We put on seven new clients last week.”
The service has had to increase its meal delivery runs from seven to 11 and increase staff from two full time employees to two full-time, three part-time and a casual worker and is assisted with an army of 220 volunteers to provide meals for 160 clients.
Sharran said the service was indebted to its volunteers, sponsors and suppliers.
“At the beginning of Covid we were one of the few places operating,” she said.
Sharran said despite the concerns over the pandemic the volunteers had all stuck with them and they were fortunate only a few had contracted the disease and those had not been badly affected.
She said suppliers had made sure they had the ingredients they needed to prepare the meals.
Sharran said the service catered to a diverse range of tastes and special needs.
There is an eight-week rotating menu that includes meals such as steak Dianne, sweet and sour pork, Moroccan lamb and grilled barramundi. Special diets include those for diabetics, people with food intolerances or ethnic requirements or those needing pureed or vitamin enriched meals.
The meals are delivered to clients and measures are taken to be Covid save as well as caring.
“We try and reduce contact as much as we can. Many of our clients are elderly. We try and do as much as we can to keep them safe,” she said.
“We’re the only contact a lot of them have.”
Meals on Wheels has a variety of fundraising activities. As well as providing food for corporate events they sell pies and relishes and extra funds enable them to purchase gifts for their clients at Christmas, Easter and a warm rug for winter.
Tewantin Noosa Meals on Wheels has volunteers ranging from school students to seniors and are always on the look out for more. For more information visit mealsonwheels-tewantin-noosa.org.au/index.html
