The City of Greater Geelong is making some changes to our Meals on Wheels service – moving from our current caterer, Community Chef, to our new provider, Choice Fresh Meals.
The new service will include delivery, which means meals will no longer be delivered by volunteers.
We understand this may cause some concern and even sadness, but we want to reassure everyone that community connection will remain an important part of the service. We know that Meals on Wheels is about much more than just food delivery and we never want that to change.
Meals will still be delivered door-to-door by local people who will have a chat, get to know clients, and look out for their wellbeing.
COVID-19 has changed so many things, including our ability to attract and retain volunteers in public-facing positions. The number of volunteers delivering meals has halved since the pandemic began and this was one of the many factors we needed to consider.
This change is about making sure Meals on Wheels is sustainable over the long term and delivers the best quality services possible, including a range of nutritious and fresh meals suited to a variety of cultural and dietary requirements.
The changes will offer clients more choice and control over their meals, new and quality food options, fresh ingredients, and an easy and flexible ordering process.
We are extremely thankful to all the staff and volunteers who have delivered meals with care and connection over many years.
They have given their time on behalf of the community and we are planning a public celebration to recognise their service. We will be in touch soon with details about this celebration.
