ON Wednesday 1 July the Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest Meals on Wheels hosted its annual morning tea at the Hawks Nest community hall as a thank you to its thirty-five volunteer delivery drivers.

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Meredyth Rae, the officer manager at Meals on Wheels told News Of the Area, “Today we are having a morning tea specifically for the deliverers of meals because each day in the kitchen the staff and the volunteers get to sit around having morning tea and enjoy each other’s company but the deliverers don’t get that comradery.”

“Because of this once a year in the middle of the year we like to give them morning tea so that they can get together and chat and laugh as well.”

Ms Rae explained how important the role of the volunteers is to the operation of Meals on Wheels, “Basically we couldn’t be a service without the volunteer deliverers and kitchen staff”

Ms Rae told News of the Area, “We want to thank our volunteers very much because they do a fantastic job and we can’t do it without them.”

Judy Poole has been a delivery driver with Meals on Wheels for over three years and said what appeals to her about the organisation is the social interaction she receives and the satisfaction of providing a valuable service to the community, “It’s a great group of people.”

“I have never seen so many people care about what they are doing.”

“From a delivery standpoint it’s about making contact with the people who need it.”

“It is about having a five- or ten-minute chat with the clients.”

“It’s really nice touching base with our clients, it’s just a joy.”

“Many of them really depend on Meals on Wheels for their food.”

Meals on Wheels has been active in the Hawks Nest / Tea Gardens community since the mid nineteen eighties and Jean Ryan is the longest serving delivery driver.

Jean has been volunteering for the organisation for approximately thirty years.

By Brooke LYNCH