On wheels service about more than meals

MEALS on Wheels Ballarat’s home on Mair Street will be opened to the public on Thursday 28 November as part of a Community Open Day.

The event from 11am to 2pm is being held to give clients, their families, potential volunteers, supporters, community leaders, and other local organisations the opportunity to see how the organisation runs, and what it has to offer.

“At the end of the financial year last year, City of Ballarat gave up its home care services and we were taken over by Meals on Wheels Queensland,” said Meals on Wheels Ballarat service coordinator Jackie Pedersen.

“Since then, we’ve expanded and opened ourselves up to providing for home care packages and to NDIS providers to allow Meals on Wheels to be more open and more accessible to a wider range of people.

“So the point of the open day is to invite service providers and community members to come along, see where we are and what we do. It’s a chance for them to ask questions about our service, see our meals, meet the volunteers, see them in action and collect information on the service.

“We’re keen to put ourselves out there and open ourselves up to the community.”

Ms Pedersen said there’s so much more to the Meals on Wheels Ballarat service than just delivering food across the region.

“We do it the old fashioned way; the volunteers take out the meals, they do a welfare check on people they’re delivering to, and have a chat to them,” she said.

“Sometimes for the people receiving the meal, the volunteer may be the only person they get to see that week. Volunteers report in if there are any issues, we follow up, and we can speak to the family.

“We don’t just drop the meals and run, it’s much more personal. It’s a happy feel-good service for those receiving the meals, and the volunteers.”

Meals on Wheels Ballarat has about 50 volunteers and engages with community groups like McCallum and Scope, and schools like St Joseph’s and Loreto College. The service is based at 1441 Mair St, Lake Wendouree.