Bruce Kafer has seen first-hand the crucial service Meals on Wheels provides - and is concerned that some Illawarra branches face an uncertain future.
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"They enable elderly folk particularly, but also the disabled to be independent and remain in their homes, so they're not becoming a burden on either the health system or aged care system," he said.
"And they're giving clients some social interaction.
"Meals on Wheels volunteers might be the only person elderly clients see in the course of that day or that week.
"It's an important community service, and the meals also provide important nutrition."
The long-running Meals on Wheels aim to deliver nutritious meals, as well as provide social interaction and a friendly check of a client's well-being.
Mr Kafer, a volunteer driver with the Port Kembla and Wollongong Meals on Wheels outlets, is therefore worried about the flow-on effects if those branches don't survive long-term.
Mr Kafer said some Meals on Wheels outlets are at risk of closing down for lack of community support (financial and/or in-kind).
Mr Kafer said the two Illawarra outlets he volunteers for are struggling to sustain their operations, due to a combination of inadequate federal government grants and difficulties fundraising to support their operations.
"For Port Kembla, for example, they're looking at three years," he said.
"If they continue to sustain the losses they are at the current rate, they'll be broke within three years."
The not-for-profit services operate independently, and while supported by federal funds, each branch is also expected to fundraise and/or secure donations.
"The grant has not been increased for the past decade," Mr Kafer said.
"One option would be to increase our prices to get back in the black, but we can't do that, because we'd lose all our customers."
Mr Kafer said donations made by Illawarra residents via the Meals on Wheels website didn't directly go to local branches, but instead to the state association.
Therefore, Mr Kafer said Illawarra branches were looking to ramp up their fundraising, but were also encouraging the community to provide direct financial or in-kind support to them.
"The message we're trying to get out is to get locals to donate locally; to get people of the Illawarra to donate into either of those outlets to ensure their viability," he told the Mercury.
Each week, Port Kembla Meals on Wheels provides hot and frozen meals to its clients in an area spanning from Shellharbour to Warrawong, Port Kembla, Berkeley and beyond. The Wollongong arm also extends to the likes of Balgownie, Fairy Meadow and Figtree.
The Port Kembla and Wollongong services combined provide 750 meals per week to approximately 200 clients.
They have 170 volunteers between them, as well as two full-time and five part-time paid staff.
Anyone interested in contributing can contact the Wollongong or Port Kembla branches via their respective Facebook pages.
Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
