Deliveries at a distance

There are some community traditions which must continue, COVID-19 notwithstanding.

One of those traditions is the valuable Meals on Wheels service to Narrabri residents.

And part of the service this year, sees MOW continue its special Easter delivery specials.

“We will be taking hot cross buns and Easter eggs out to our clients,” confirmed MOW co-ordinator Donna MacMillan.

And MOW will deliver meals on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

It has been more or less business as usual for MOW through the coronavirus pandemic.

The delivery of lunchtime meals has continued, but with rigorous safeguards and hygiene measures in place, explained Mrs MacMillan.

“We deliver at a distance.

“We deliver to about 56 clients at the moment – we have 60 on our books but some are in hospital, not with coronavirus, thankfully,” Mrs MacMillan said.

The MOW volunteers set off for deliveries aboard the MOW vehicle with two on some runs, a driver and a second volunteer in the back seat and across the other side of the car.

“We have arranged for clients to have a drop off spot, a table or chair outside their door and we leave the meals there,” explained Mrs MacMillan.

“We then call out to let our client know the drop off has been done and wait, at a distance, until they come out to pick it up so we are sure they receive it.”

“We check how they are feeling and if they are running short of anything and continue on.

“Our volunteers are sanitising before and after each delivery. “We do everything we can to try and protect everybody.”

Meals are prepared at Whiddon Narrabri’s kitchens.

“We observe very rigorous hygiene and distancing protocols there as well, in accordance with the government guidelines and the Whiddon procedures,” said Mrs MacMillan.

“I am the only MOW person to go into the kitchen to pick up the lunches and bring the esky out to the delivery volunteers waiting out at the Cameron Street entrance.

“We are all very mindful of the need for care and we stick to a strict schedule.”

MOW has undertaken special drinking water drop offs over summer and in more recent times extended the deliveries to toilet paper as well last week.