WE heard it from a manager and now we hear it from a volunteer - nobody in the Shoalhaven will be forced on a waiting list for Meals on Wheels.
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North Shoalhaven Meals on Wheels has more customers and delivering more meals than ever before.
However, manager of North Shoalhaven Meals on Wheels Lisa Burns said they would never put people on a waiting list.
Charlie Mula from the Shoalhaven Heads Meals and Wheels group said making people wait for assistance would go against everything they believe in.
Charlie said theirs is a busy group but the number of people they currently support had decreased.
No matter how many people they feed Charlie said their goal was simple.
"What we do is provide people with a good nutritious meal and we can provide this service on a seven-day-a-week basis," he said.
"This (getting the meals) gives people independence and they can stay home longer."
Shoalhaven Heads Meals on Wheels, like most volunteer-based groups, are always looking for more helpers.
Charlie has been a volunteer for seven years.
"I got involved because I was made redundant in my job and I was too old to find another job and nobody would hire me because of my age," he said.
"So I ended up sitting around looking at four walls. I thought I can't just sit here - I have to do something."
He saw a call for volunteers in the Shoalhaven Heads' village newsletter and offered his services.
"I love it (volunteering). It gives me a sense of pride and fulfilment because I am doing something that actually helps someone," the volunteer said.
"I suppose, looking forward to a few years, that I might need the service myself."
He has many roles from roster clerk to recruitment officer and helps with the meal preparations.
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The Heads branch has 89 active volunteers but they need more.
To fill the roster for a normal month they need 96 volunteers - so they are a little short.
"A lot of people double up. We are always looking for volunteers - not just us but Meals on Wheels in general," Charlie said.
If people get sick, go on holidays or are unavailable for other reasons then the Meals on Wheels volunteer pool gets stretched.
Contact Lisa Burns on 4422 5111 if you are interested in being part of this important local service.
The busy Shoalhaven Heads group cooks fresh wholesome meals and Charlie describes them has traditional comfort food.
The Meals on Wheels volunteers also perform another vital service.
They check up on people who may be socially isolated, living on their own and make sure they are doing okay.
"We have a duty of care and have to make sure our clients are healthy and active," he said
While they can't say for too long - the volunteers make sure people who live by themselves are safe.
