*Pictured at Obair, Newmarket on Fergus Kate Tierney (Volunteer), Eimear Murphy (Meals on Wheels Co-Ordinator), Alice Delaney (Volunteer), Vincent Delaney (Volunteer), Eileen McGrath (Volunteer), Siobhan O’Driscoll (Operations Manager, Obair CLG) and Conor Mulqueen (Kitchen Assistant)
OBAIR’S MEALS ON WHEELS service is to expand into parts of North, West and East Clare.
Based in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Obair has been in existence for over three decades providing Meals on Wheels since 2012. The community based organisation works with people of all ages to combat social exclusion, as well as supporting older people in the community through the provision of Meals on Wheels.
Meals are available primarily to older and retired people who might not be able to cook for themselves due to increasing age, ill-health or isolation.
An approximate 200 service users are provided with meals for seven days of the week by Obair, at present.
Hot meals are delivered five days per week with two cold meals provided on a Friday for Saturday and Sunday. These two-course hot meals are produced in Obair’s Tradaree Centre in Newmarket on Fergus and are delivered direct to the homes of people by a team of community volunteers.
Over the next six months, this service will expand to include areas in East Clare including Tulla, Feakle, Scariff, Bodyke, O’Callaghans Mills and Broadford; areas in West Clare including The Loop Head Peninsula, encompassing Doonbeg, Kilkee, Kilbaha and Carrigaholt; and areas in North Clare including Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Fanore and Ballyvaughan. This will provide an additional 160 meals a day to older people in our community. It is hoped that the service can expand to serve remaining areas of Clare in the future.
Volunteers are crucial to the service, acting as the point of contact with the clients, providing a friendly face, asking how they are and if they need anything, giving them the local news and on Thursday’s a copy of The Clare Echo, Meals on Wheels co-ordinator Eimear Murphy pointed out. “The dedication and commitment of our volunteers is invaluable, and their acts of kindness are essential in allowing this service to be expanded,” she said.
General Manager of Obair, Orla Meehan said they were “privileged” to expand the service. “Meals on Wheels is a volunteer led, community based service and we look forward to working in new communities to bring this vital service to areas of North, West and East Clare”.
Maria Bridgeman, Chief Officer, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare outlined that the HSE were delighted to support the expansion. “The commitment of Obair’s staff and volunteers will ensure that this service continues to provide hot meals to more people in more parts of Clare, but also an important social support. Throughout COVID in particular, this was a vital resource for many and I am pleased that this will now be the case in many more communities in East, West and North Clare”.
For anyone aged over 65 who may be interesting in accessing this service, please contact Obair as follows on 086 785 1620 or 061-368030 or via email mealsonwheels@obair.org.
