More clients needed on menu

Northern Illawarra Meals on Wheels has plenty of volunteers, what they want more of is clients.

The local charity is one of a very small number of charities who have all the volunteers they want but actually have to chase new clients.

Northern Illawarra MOW currently has 113 clients receiving free food every week between Corrimal and Clifton, but NIMOW Service Manager Melinda Stuckey has said the charity has the capacity to take on up to 125 clients.

Ms Stuckey wanted to let local elderly people know that getting some help from Meals on Wheels doesn’t equate to giving up their independence.

“What we are trying to is get across is the idea that Meals on Wheels is a means of keeping your independence, not giving it up and also that it’s a safety mechanism because you’ve got people coming to the house everyday,” she said.

“I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t get Meals on Wheels because they think that their independence will be compromised.

“We have a lot of people, typically their family will sort of say they need it and that person will say ‘No, I like to cook’ and we say ‘That’s great, but we’ll just help you out on the days you can’t be bothered.’”

Meals on Wheels clients can choose whether they want a few frozen meals delivered a fortnight, just for the nights they don’t feel like cooking, or can even request daily meals delivered hot to their door.

Ms Stuckey said good nutrition keeps elderly people out of hospital.

She also said MOW can be great for people suffering from dementia.

“(People with dementia) might not have eaten all day because they might have forgotten,” she said.

Ms Stuckey said Wollongong Meals on Wheels also has room for new clients.

Contact Northern Illawarra Meals on Wheels by calling 4285 6126.