Ali Betts, Rhonda Douglas, Steph Cooke, Kerry Kostrubic.
On Monday 30th March, Cootamundra Meals on Wheels Service Inc. hosted a morning Tea to celebrate 60 years of Service and Support for our local community.
This wonderful event was well attended by past and present volunteers as well as the many clients who rely on this vital service to remain healthy, active members of their community.
Special guests were Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, Mayor Abb McCalister, Jenny Rea NSW Meals on Wheels and Andrea Kurta – CHSP Engagement Riverina Murray.
This wonderful celebration helped to raise the profile and awareness of this essential service. Meals on Wheels is essential in ensuring their clients live healthy, active and independent lives and recognises the value of all people in our community, providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to be actively involved and participate in their communities through volunteering.
As Australians, we enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world due to society’s focus on the links between a balanced lifestyle, healthy eating, ageing well and personal wellbeing. The outcome of such equates to a better quality of life. Services such as Meals on Wheels are an important part of healthy ageing, which is achieved through the delivery of quality nutritious meals, social connection to the wider community and a wellness check, providing peace of mind not only for our clients but their families as well.
Locally, our service is so much more. Cootamundra Meals on Wheels has become a support network for our ageing population, the service is a part of a very well-established institution that has been embedded into the fabric of our town, providing frontline, early intervention and prevention in the home.
Our large number of committed volunteers are the backbone of our service; their time and dedication has allowed the service to deliver meals and support every day, and for that we are incredibly grateful.
The morning Tea was a great opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful working relationship between Meals on Wheels and ADINA CARE. Under the guidance of Kathy Manwaring, Hospitality Manager, ADINA CARE have provided high quality and nutritious meals for the past 28 years, which has ensured that we can deliver a service that is flexible in meeting clients’ changing needs to ensure that they are living their best lives possible.
Meals on Wheels would like to thank the many businesses and School’s that support the service through their kind donations or their support through volunteering, as well as other community organisations including the LIONS CLUB and the GIRLS GUIDES.
A special thanks must go to the Cootamundra Ex-Serviceman’s Club who continually assist the service through their donations, The Long Track Pantry, Southwest Fuel, and Dusty Road Coffee Roasters who gave donations for the raffle.
Meals on Wheels Cootamundra Coordinator, Kerry Kostrubic says the Rugby Club provided a wonderful venue for their 60th anniversary event.
“The community spirit is well and truly alive in Cootamundra,” she says.
“We saw more than 130 people attend the event.”
Catered by Terese Baldwin, and with the support of students from Sacred Heart Central School who served the tea and coffee to guests, Kerry says the morning tea was a great success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
“Terese did a fantastic job in keeping a large number of our guests fed and nourished with a great variety of hot finger foods as well as scones, sandwiches and slices,” and the students were very polite and very attentive, they are a credit to their school and our community, she says.
Meals on Wheels, Kerry says, continues to put their foundational morales of providing a service that extends beyond a simple meal above all else.
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