Joyce Warrington, 88, still helps to deliver Meals On Wheels, while June MacNamara, 89, and Kathleen Catterall, 95, also founding members, serve on the current committee.

Port Kembla business owner Ruth Claussen approached Mrs Warrington in July 1965 asking if "her gang" would help set up a service for those in need in Port Kembla.

Mrs Warrington gathered three friends and their children and organised a concert in her backyard, also selling afternoon tea and handmade toffee apples.

"We raised 10 pounds that we gave to Ruth to buy utensils to carry the meals in," explained Mrs Warrington.

The two Port Kembla Hotels and the RSL prepared the meals and if there were any special needs Mrs Claussen would cook the meal herself from her menswear retail store.

The small group of dedicated volunteers worked on a monthly roster going out into the community in pairs.

From the early '70s Port Kembla Hospital took over the catering of meals and the service expanded later to include Berkeley, Lake Heights, Primbee and Windang.

"Delivering meals to the sick and those who couldn't cook for themselves has allowed me to help somebody else up that ladder," said Mrs Warrington.

Mrs Warrington still enjoys dropping off meals to people in need although it is her sister-in-law who now does all the driving.

In the beginning heavy aluminium containers were used to carry the meals and keep them hot. They had to be washed at the end of each day. In 1979 the containers changed to disposable packaging.

Due to an increase in paperwork, the Port Kembla Meals on Wheels Association now employs a co-ordinator. The service still provides about 50 meals a day.

Volunteers are urgently needed to keep the service going in the area.