Mid Ulster meals project delivers its 1000th meal to those in need

The Meals Project has grown week on week starting with 49 on the first day to 103 meals scheduled to go out on Saturday. A total of 1000 meals have now been delivered.

At risk of sounding like an advertisement for M&S, this initiative is not just any meal service, the project provides so much more in a time when vulnerable people within our local community are isolated, lonely and fear what may lie beyond their front doors.

Staff from the organisation’s involved contact members every Monday to advise them of the menu for Wednesday and Saturday, which changes weekly, but the phone call doesn’t end there. Members are asked how they are doing, have they got all they need and basically just have the opportunity to have a chat with a friendly and familiar voice on the end of the line, which can mean the world when no one else is calling.

Ashley Keane, Manager with Out & About Community Transport says: “It’s unbelievable how much the members look forward to the weekly call from staff. Lockdown and Self Isolation has been extremely difficult for many of our members who were so used to getting out and about with our rural transport service so this new initiate is going some way to alleviate the anxieties of the current lockdown situation.”

This project has also provided the opportunity to join forces with local businessman Jonathan Crawford and his team in Maghera. Jonathan has been extremely helpful and rose to the challenge of supplying 200+ wholesome meals every week.

So much excellent work takes place behind the scenes from all the staff involved in this project from designing the menu, making the telephone calls, preparing the meals, planning the routes for delivery and then when the drivers actually deliver the meals it provides another great opportunity to check in on everyone, face to face, and offer a friendly hello and a bit of

chat…..two metres away of course!

If you or someone you know could benefit from this meal service please give us a call today on 028 79300123 to find out more details.

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