Change is afoot at Ballina Shire Meals on Wheels

Meleta Wood is retiring as Service Coordinator of Ballina Shire Meals on Wheels after 16 years of service. Dan Davidson is stepping into the role this month.

Ballina Shire Meals on Wheels has been operating as a community-based not for proft food service since 1967. The service provides reasonably priced nutritious meals delivering daily hot, cool or frozen by volunteers to our client’s doors. We cater for a variety of nutritional needs including gluten free, diabetic and pureed food.

Meleta has overseen the growth of the service into the recent inclusion of a social support / activities program for people 65 years and over. Meleta has seen many changes over the years including moving to the new site at 62 Crane St in 2008. Meleta’s dedication and hard work over her 16 years of service will be missed by staff, volunteers and clients.

New Service Manager Dan has a background as a business owner/ head chef and working as a Service Coordinator in aged care services.

Dan says ‘I’m looking forward to working with the dedicated team of staff and volunteers and continuing on with the vital community service. To keep the service thriving we hoping to attract some new volunteers as meal deliverers and to help at the services’ social activities’.

For more information about getting meals, volunteering or our social activities contact the offce on 0266862636 or email bsmow@bigpond.com. au

My family has gotten into the Alone Australia series that has recently been on SBS.

This is where 10 people go into the wild, with only 10 items (plus safety gear) and have to make their own accommodation, get their own food and water and flm the whole process.

It started when I did a story on Josh King, the Director of Photography for the show, who hails from Evans Head.

From there I have watched the series through four times!!

Each time showing it to a different member of the family and watching them get addicted.

Now we all sit and watch the American version on a regular basis.

Gotta love On Demand streaming.

I think one of the aspects about the show that has resonated with us is the determination of the contestants to not just survive in the conditions they fnd themselves, but to also thrive.

After the food impacted everyone, it was interesting to see the reactions from ourselves and those around us.

On Alone, there is always a small percentage of competitors (and that is what they are, as they are fghting to be the last person there to win a cash prize) will tap out after the frst night. This is where they ring the producers of the show and an ‘extraction’ team comes in and takes them out.

If only we’d had that post food although the tinny heroes did a good job of that during the food.

We watched some residents do their own form of tapping out when they put their houses straight on the market, or if they were renters, move out of the area. Not that they had much choice as rentals were at a premium.

On Alone the bulk of contestants lasted until the hunger or loneliness village, often wondering when it will be fnished, but continuing on regardless. And that’s what the