As you may be aware, Meals on Wheels is an essential service that has been delivering nutritious, flavoursome meals and a social and wellbeing check, to older and vulnerable members of the community for over 65 years.
It plays a significant role in early intervention health prevention and supports older Australians to live independent and well at home, for longer, where they are often happiest.
We are currently planning our theme and campaign for National Meals on Wheels Day, which falls on the last Wednesday of August each year. Traditionally, we use this day as an opportunity to thank our incredible volunteer workforce, because without them, our valuable work would not be possible.
One of our proposed initiatives is to collaborate with primary schools across Australia to encourage the children to make ‘thank you’ cards for volunteers at their local Meals on Wheels service. This could then be hand-delivered by the teacher/school as there is a Meals on Wheels service in almost every community around Australia (with some limitations for rural areas).
We thought it could integrate well within the school curriculum for that week, providing a meaningful activity and offering teachers the opportunity to discuss the concept of both volunteering and supporting people in need to the children.
We feel the ‘thank you cards’ are a heartfelt and authentic gesture to thank our volunteers and is also an opportunity to engage and inspire the ‘next generation of volunteers,’ particularly since a large majority of Meals on Wheels volunteers are aged over 65 years old.
To share this campaign, we would put together a communication kit to be sent to Australian primary schools about Meals on Wheels, National Meals on Wheels Day and encouraging them to get involved with their initiative, as well as provide instructions on how they can find the address and contact details for their local service.
Nicole Ransom
Project Officer
Meals on Wheels Australia and Meals on Wheels SA
m: 0411 793 069
e: nicolep@mealsonwheelssa.org.au
