Photo: Supplied.
BY ASHLEIGH HOWARTH
For the 130 volunteers at Wynnum Manly and District Meals on Wheels, giving their time is about far more than delivering healthy and nutritious meals – it’s about bringing companionship and connection to older Australians and people in need.
As National Volunteer Week approaches (May 18-24), the team’s dedication is being celebrated for the care and support they provide across the bayside community.
Seeing how much the volunteers give to the organisation each day, manager Marcia Dickie said the local branch of Meals on Wheels simply couldn’t operate without them.
“Without our dedicated and hardworking volunteers who go above and beyond every day, this local branch of Meals on Wheels would cease to exist,” she said.
“We are really thankful to our volunteers for the great work they do and the care and compassion they show every day. They truly make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we support.
“It’s because of them we are able to provide quality, nutritious meals to the elderly and other people in need who might otherwise go without.
“We have lots of different people who give up their own free time to help us. Our youngest volunteer is in his 20s, and we have people who are in their 70s and 80s who have been here for many years.”
The theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week is ‘Your Year to Volunteer’, which invites people across Australia to make 2026 a year of meaningful involvement, in ways that work for them.
If you are looking for a way to give back, there are two different roles within Meals on Wheels where you can make a positive difference.
“In the kitchen, volunteers do tasks similar to what you would do at home like chopping fruit and vegetables, plating up the meals, packing frozen meals and cleaning,” she said.
“Our drivers then head out to deliver the meals, and we’ve been told many times by families that our volunteers are often the highlight of their loved one’s day.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can phone 3396 9479 or visit the website at
www.wynnummanlymealsonwheels.org.au.
