Staff hit the streets for wheelie great cause
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East Gippsland Shire Council staff are continuing their support for an invaluable community service providing nutritious meals to community members.
Council staff deliver Meals on Wheels for three weeks each year and just finished their first stint for 2019.
Working in pairs, staff collected Eskies of prepared meals from Bairnsdale Regional Health Service and set off to deliver them to some of Bairnsdale’s vulnerable residents.
Teams are provided with a list of meals and who to deliver them to, as well as a map of the route.
Council’s Acting Community Programs Coordinator Kathryn Macdonald was pleased to see more staff volunteering.
“Usually we are left with vacant spots that we have to try and fill, but this time around we got enough volunteers straight away, and from a variety of teams. It was great,” Kathryn said.
One of this month’s volunteers, Jenny Boyd, said she has been doing a meal run for a few years with council.
“I also did it when my children were at school, as the school participated in Meals on Wheels,” Ms Boyd said.
“Meals on Wheels is a needed service, so when they call for volunteers it’s good to help out. It generally takes about an hour-and-a-half to deliver the meals.”
Ms Boyd was joined by Bronwyn Carson on the delivery run.
“I haven’t done Meals on Wheels through the shire before but it doesn’t take up much time and it is nice to support those programs,” Ms Carson said.
“It is also good for council to be seen supporting this community service.”
In East Gippsland, Meals on Wheels is managed by Gippsland Lakes Community Health. Meals are prepared at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service and delivered to people living in Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville and Raymond Island.
Meals include soup, meat and vegies, dessert and orange juice.
For more information on the program or to volunteer, contact Gippsland Lakes Community Health on 5155 8300.
East Gippsland Shire Council’s Bronwyn Carson, Jenny Boyd and Kathryn Macdonald support the organisation’s contribution to the Bairnsdale Meals on Wheels program.