Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 19 January, I assisted one of the drivers for Charleston Meals on Wheels to deliver meals. Over the years I have been out with a number of Meals on Wheels organisations within the Shortland electorate. All members in this House recognise the fine work that Meals on Wheels do and know that the contact they have with the people they deliver meals to is more than just the fact that they provide nutritional food to those people who receive the meals; rather, it is quite often the only contact that those people have with the outside world.

Charlestown Meals on Wheels is an outstanding organisation and I must say that it is a showpiece as far as Meals on Wheels organisations are concerned. It has had a long history of obtaining support from the community and it delivers meals to Adamstown, Adamstown Heights, Kotara, Valentine, Windale, Charlestown, Dudley, Whitebridge, Garden Suburb, Kahibah and Gateshead areas. The coordinator is Cynthia Moore and the administration officer is Alana Ditroi. I assisted the Meals on Wheels run that goes to Kahibah and the driver whom I accompanied was Kevin Wilson. I thank him very much for allowing me to assist him on that day. I very much appreciated the fact that I could go and meet people who received the meals in order to understand some of the issues that are so important to them.

Charlestown Meals on Wheels delivers approximately 250 meals every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The number of volunteers varies enormously between 60 and 90 people a day. Sixty people are needed to deliver the meals on any one day to all of the areas that I just mentioned. There is also a crew that works in the kitchen. They are a really good team who all work together. I have been to a number of functions that Charlestown Meals on Wheels have run and I know the dedication of all of those volunteers who are involved with that organisation. I congratulate each and every one of them and thank Charlestown Meals on Wheels for allowing me to deliver meals on 19 January.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members’ constituency statements has concluded.