Meet Wendy Witty, who has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels in Swan Hill for over 40 years has no plans to retire anytime soon.

The 81-year-old knows it’s not just the nutritious hot meals made daily by the Swan Hill District Hospital that are important. It’s the huge serving of kindness that comes with them. Volunteers chat to customers, share a laugh or two and in many cases build up friendship and companionship over many years

The side-order of camaraderie is as important as the meal itself for many. Sometimes the volunteer is the only person they see all week, and so the visits are a social lifeline.

“To be honest, I receive much more than I give,” says Wendy. “It’s good to feel that warm glow inside knowing that I am enriching the lives of older people.”

The great-grandmother is 81 and a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Swan Hill, which started in England 101 years ago. The group raises funds for good causes, including research into cord blood, and has been a staunch supporter of Meals on Wheels in the area over the years.

When the Swan Hill Rural City Council transitioned its CHSP home care services, including Meals on Wheels, to Uniting AgeWell a few years ago, the aged care provider was quick to get the message across to the community: “It’s business as usual, and the continuation of this valuable service is a priority”.

The lifeblood of the Meals on Wheels service remains the volunteers. During National Volunteer Week, Uniting AgeWell would like to pay tribute to all those who roll up their sleeves to deliver many kinds of nourishment.Loddon Mallee Care Advisor Maureen Saville says the Meals on Wheels service also provides an impromptu but important ‘check-in’ on the wellbeing of the recipients. “Volunteers are able to provide us with valuable feedback as to the wellbeing of the older people receiving the meals, which we as a team are then able to follow up on.”

Uniting AgeWell’s Loddon Mallee North Home Care Program Manager Cindy Howard has a message for volunteers. “Every meal you deliver carries more than food—it carries comfort, warmth, and the reminder that someone cares. Thank you for being that someone.”

Uniting AgeWell invests in its volunteers, with training as well as a thorough onboarding process. If you have a kind heart, a vehicle and a few hours a month to help support this service, please phone 139 375.