Meals on wheels kept turning despite subzero temperatures earlier this month

The freezing conditions that kept the county in an icy grip recently didn’t deter the Elphin Day Centre team from ensuring their meals on wheels service kept turning for the local community.

The subzero temperatures proved a real challenge on the roads but Elphin Day Centre manager Catherine McGrath and her colleagues were determined that the service would continue uninterrupted.

Over the course of freeze, the service delivered about 60 piping hot dinners daily to people’s homes, an increase on the usual 40 dinners prepared daily.

As the weather worsened towards the end of the week, Catherine called on the services of her husband and his 4x4 jeep in order to navigate the treacherous back roads.

“So we have our meals on wheels van, an electric van, and Padraic and Conor went out on this on the main roads, and one of our staff Angela did the town and surrounding areas. My husband then helped me out with our own 4 by 4 jeep; so we did the back roads - it was all hands on deck.

“We sent out about 60 dinners every day. People just couldn't get out of their houses,” Catherine explained.

The demand for the meals on wheels services increased, partly because the Elphin Day Centre was forced to close due to the bad weather. Normally, people would attend the centre for activities and a hot meal during its Monday to Thursday opening hours.

“We don't work on Friday, so we brought people double dinners on Thursday,” Catherine added.

The meals and wheels service has increased its footprint over the years, covering not just the Elphin area but reaching out to homes in areas around Boyle, Tulsk, Ballinagare, Frenchpark and Strokestown.

Catherine and her colleagues are well used to challenges and worked throughout the Covid pandemic as well, delivering meals on wheels.

“We never stopped. You just can’t stop because that's when people need you most,” she said.

The meals delivered to homes are prepared by the day centre’s chef and, apart from a dessert, last week’s menus included shepherd’s pie, stew, bacon and cabbage, and home-made burgers.

During the cold snap at the start of the month, the meals on wheels service also delivered groceries and essentials to those unable to leave their homes, and to areas where home help services were disrupted.