All systems are operating once again at Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels.

Our Meals are being delivered from the 9th January and our volunteers are keen to catch up with our wonderful clients once again. The opportunity to hear about the Christmas period from each other make conversations fun and entertaining.

Our Out and About  clients started on Monday at Narooma and with Lunch About on Tuesday. Once again the conversations about Christmas experiences were important highlights of each event.

Our Individual Social Support initiatives continue and we love to be able to support people with their shopping and appointments, with a 'cuppa and a chat'  and with some simple gardening tasks. This support is important and assists our clients to stay in their home for longer.

It was nice to hear back from our clients about the Christmas Cards they received prior to Christmas. These were produced by the Junior School students at St Peter's Anglican College and brought joy to each recipient.

Thanks you to our dedicated staff (Mim and Bethany) who were availabe to assist clients over the holiday period. There were the occasional meals required and once again they were pleased to assist.

The team of staff and volunteers, look forward to the year and the services we are able to supply to our clients.

To celebrate National Meals on Wheels Day, the volunteers from Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels met for High Tea at the Moruya Jockey Club.

The Jockey Club kindly donated the Members Lounge for our use and Moruya Rotary catered for the occasion- and what food they delivered, it was amazing and so much that volunteers could take samples home!

This was an opportunity for the President (Phil Armstrong) to thank the volunteers for their dedication and hard work over the last twelve months.

It was also an opportunity for the Manager (Alan Russell) to present the annual EMoW Awards for exceptional volunteers, and these brought a smile to everyone as the citations were read out.

Amongst the EMoW Awards were the Drop Everything and Run Award, the Secret Beach Award, the Christmas Angel Award, the Highway Cruiser Award, the You're a Little Gem Award, the Sleuthing Award and the Can I Have Your Autograph Award.

Service Awards were also presented with the highlight being awards for two long serving volunteers who had given 39 and 53 years of valuable assistance to others.

Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels has welcomed Chelsea Rehardt to the position of Coordinator for its Out and About programme.

Chelsea joined the team at the end of August to coordinate the new look programme for Group Social Support which is being offered now in all major towns within our Shire.

The programme operates throughout the Shire and allows people from all areas to enrol in some Group Social Support activities. Chelsea operates the progarmme in Narooma on Monday, in Moruya on Tuesday and in Batemans Bay on Thursday.

Chelsea is a local. She knows local attractions, people of interest and is very keen to support our older citizens. Already she has made herself a vital part of the Eurobodlalla Meals on Wheels team and has brought a fresh vision to our established programme. This has been enjoyed by our regular clients and seen new people come to join the fun and laughter.

Welcome Chelsea. We hope you enjoy your time with everyone involved with the Out and About programme.

Out and About has had a major change and now operates throughout the Eurobodalla Shire.

The programme, offereing Group Social Support, has been operating for 11 years and had been based in Batemans Bay at "The Cottage" in Heradale Parade. At the end of August the Board sought a new way to offer the programme and decided to take the programme 'on the road'.

The programme continues to operate over four days each week.

On Monday the programme is in Narooma at the Youth Cafe attached to the Community Centre and Library. Our bus travels from Batemans Bay with clients and picks up others on the way. The bus then returns clients at the end of the day.

On Tuesday our well known Lunch About programme continues to operate. Clients are picked up and taken for morning tea before driving to a venue for lunch. The bus returns everyone home after a  wonderful day out. The location could be anywhere from Tilba Tilba in the south, to Braidwood in the west and to Mollymook in the north.

On Wednesday the group meets in Moruya at the Mackay Centre. Again the bus collects clients from Batemans Bay and travels to Moruya. Once again the bus returns clients after the days activity.

On Thursday, the group meets in Batemans Bay. The bus travels to collect and return clients.

The programme is developed for each month and is based upon clients  ideas, suggestions and interests. Clients are able to pick the activities they wish to enjoy and make the booking through the Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels office (4474 4464).

New clients have been wamly welcomed as the have met the group. They have been enjoying the programe and social contact with others which the Coordinator (Chelsea Rehardt) has arranged. The trial day before completing the formalities of joining the group have enabled people to 'test the water', and very much welcomed by people who are not sure what type of group they wish to enrol into. 

The exciting new initaiative is well underway.