Meals on Wheels serves the elderly and hungry

GEORGE NEWS - A group of dedicated volunteers, three cooks and a kitchen volunteer form the backbone of Meals on Wheels Community Services (MOWCS) in George that feeds more than 130 elderly and close to 2 000 children every week.

It is a non-profit organisation that operates from the Loerie Park Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Their service is four-pronged:
* a complete meal to about 130 elderly twice a week, delivered to their homes;

* meals for 1 782 children in four local primary schools and 70 people from Cremhog (Christian Rehabilitation Ministries to the Homeless of George) once a week;

* the distribution of samp-and-bean packets and boxes of Bokomo Weet-Bix to various charity organisations, creches and outreach programmes that hand these out to people in need in their own communities;

* freshly made sandwiches once a week for the moms of children at the paediatric unit of George Hospital who spend hours waiting.

Three times a week, from early morning, the small kitchen of the church is a hive of activity when the kitchen team, consisting of Anistey Elbrugh, Annalin Elbrugh and Felicity Booysen cook up a storm, to be ready for distribution by 09:00.

PHOTO GALLERY: Meals on Wheels serves the elderly and hungry

Potatoes are collected at the 4 Brothers Aartappelstoor. Photo supplied

Seamless operation

Last Thursday morning, George Herald witnessed the seamless operation as the cooks dished up meals from the enormous cooking pots into plastic tubs, with a basket of sandwiches (prepared in the early hours of the morning) as well as boxes of Weet-Bix standing ready for distribution.

Two volunteer drivers, Alida Grove and Daleen Maritz (also a MOWCS board member), arrive and kitchen volunteer Musa Masebande starts loading the small, well-maintained Meals on Wheels van that was donated more than a decade ago by the George Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) and has 204 000km on the clock.

A prayer is said for the drivers' protection and the two ladies set off on their trip during which they will make plenty of stops to drop off their cargo to grateful beneficiaries.

Musa Masebande, kitchen volunteer, loading the van.

More volunteers needed
Cora Fourie, branch manager of the George operations for many years, says without their volunteers and generous sponsors their hands would be tied.

The deliveries are not only in George, but on some days the van goes as far as Oudemuragie, Joubertina, Rondevlei, Knysna and Sedgefield for the Weet-Bix and samp-and-beans packets to be distributed to organisations there.

"I would like to appeal to volunteers who would be able to give of their time to help with deliveries, to please contact us. We have a schedule, so our volunteers do not drive more than once a week/every two weeks."

Meals on Wheels also needs donations of canned food, non-perishable goods and rice. "We are also in urgent need of a new fridge and storage container to assist in keeping our goods fresh and stored away."

People who are interested to assist, may contact Cora on 083 485 2390.

Two volunteers who help with deliveries, Alida Grove (left) and Daleen Maritz (centre) with MOW coordinator Cora Fourie.