The days of $1.50 meals may be over but some things never change and Jervis Bay and Districts Meals on Wheels is still very much a valued part of the Shoalhaven community.
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The group celebrated its 40th birthday on Wednesday, July 31 at the Country Club Vincentia, with around 70 clients and volunteers enjoying the occasion.
Sue O'Brien, president of the Jervis Bay and Districts Meals on Wheels shared the history of the group.
The delivery service began on June 7, 1979 with a three day a week service. After first starting in the kitchen of the Jervis Bay motel, they moved into the St Georges Basin Community Centre and used the kitchen there.
They started with just four volunteers cooks and four clients and meals were $1.50 each.
By 1988 the group had grown to delivering approximately 4500 meals a year and was still charging $1.50, but this went up in the next financial year.
In the mid-1990s there was a need for two services in the region. Huskisson Vincentia Meals on Wheels soon formed and split the area in two. In 1999 Huskisson Vincentia opened a purpose built kitchen.
In 2018 however the two came back together and in the last year has delivered 11819 meals to 83 clients by 103 volunteers.
They have two shifts in the kitchen three days a week.
The group now has its sights set on delivering 15,000 meals and aims to grow its clients and volunteers to meet this goal.
