Keeping essential services operating amidst lockdown (due to virus)

I experienced something new recently, thanks to Red Cross.

Red Cross volunteers make sure the meals prepared by Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) reach the needy residents in the community. However, a huge majority of these volunteers are over 70 years of age, hence cannot perform this role while New Zealand is in Alert Level 4.

I got to participate in the Meals on Wheels programme as a Red Cross volunteer. The process runs as follows. A CDHB van brings the food in many polystyrene boxes to a designated pick-up point at 11 am. Each box has a number, associated with a particular part of the town. I had #36 today, and my list had 17 meals for residents. There was a large #36 box, which had 17 hot meal casseroles; while a smaller #36 box had 17 boxes with dessert. My job was to give 1 hot meal and 1 dessert to each resident in the list.

Like airlines, there are special meals too – which are marked both the meal casserole as well as dessert box.

My complete ‘run’ took about 2 hours, at the end of which I had to bring back the empty polystyrene boxes to the designated pick-up point, and leave them in a cupboard there.

A few other friends also volunteered, to ensure this wonderful (essential) service continued ‘as normal’.

The smiles and thanks from elderly residents makes it all worthwhile, as I experienced.

Meals on Wheels \ New Zealand Red Cross