Call for volunteers as Meals on Wheels endures coronavirus restrictions to make deliveries

Meals on Wheels needs more volunteers as coronavirus impacts put some centres at risk of closure.

Meals on Wheels volunteers in action at Pine Rivers Meals on Wheels. Picture: Peter Cronin

“They just need their meals no matter what!”

Meals on Wheels services north of Brisbane are battling to cope with the impacts of coronavirus and are urging more volunteers to come forward.

Some Queensland centres are at risk of closing while others like the Pine Rivers centre, are going above and beyond to ensure those people who rely on the service get their meals delivered.

Though they need more help as volunteer numbers are dwindling.

“We’re doing everything we can here to keep the deliveries coming,” Meals on Wheels Pine Rivers business manager Wendy Smith said.

“We are losing quite a few volunteers, we lost five more today.

“Most are grandparents who are having to stay home and take care of their grandkids because their parents have taken them out of school as a precaution.”

The Pine Rivers centre has imposed a number of measures to abide by the social distancing rules in place — that people must keep 1.5m away from each other.

Meals on Wheels Volunteers Stephen Cashmere, Linzi Stamler, Jenny Neilsen, Ken McFarlane, Gary Berry of Brendale, Florence Swinburne and Jo Cooper pictured outside the Meals On Wheels, Pine Rivers in 2017. (AAP/Josh Woning)

It is also facing financial hurdles as the price of meat increases while it is not immune to the limits being placed on certain supplies.

“It’s a bit scary,” Ms Smith said, “But our clients have been fantastic.

“Some will come to the door to get their meal or the gates so our delivery guys don’t have to go inside their homes.

“These people just need their meals no matter what. We need to keep feeding them.”

They have also been getting a helping hand from State Member for Kurwongbah Shane King, who has dropped off hand sanitiser at the centre.

“We’re trying to get some more too because they really need it,” Mr King said.

“I know they are a great organisation and we’ve never needed them more than we do now.

“It’s important they stay open and if people have time please volunteer to help them.

“There are a lot of oldies out there who rely on them.”

Meals on Wheels operates 141 services in Queensland and has about 10,000 volunteers.

Queensland Meals on Wheels CEO Evan Hill the majority of volunteers were aged over 60 years and it was becoming a challenge to manage the risk for both them and the clients.

“Volunteers may feel they need to look after them, selves and that’s becoming more common as the virus spreads,” Mr Hill said.

“At a national level we are putting the call out for people from the lower risk category, who might be able to register to volunteer so deliveries don’t become disrupted and people can get the meals.”

Mr Hill said the organisation might also have to adapt to the changing situation by making less deliveries but using frozen meals so the number of meals won’t change.

He said if this was to occur, the clients would not miss out on getting that important social contact with volunteers despite there being fewer deliveries.

“At the very least we will talk to them by phone and have a chat so they are still getting that social contact in some form,” Mr Hill said.

If people want to help out and volunteer at the centre, they can email [e-mail] or call 3285 2532.