Sunassist struggling to provide essential service

A MILDURA-based community organisation that provides essential services to Sunraysia’s frail, elderly and disabled is struggling to meet increasing demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Not for profit group Sunassist has more than 3000 clients on its books, many of whom rely on the organisation’s daily Meals on Wheels service which aims to provide meals to people who are unable to get a meal without assistance.

However, a rise in the number of both clients in need of the service and volunteers who deliver the meals self-isolating at home amid the COVID-19 crisis has placed a strain on the service that has been running for almost 40 years.

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Sunassist executive officer Richard Garlick on Thursday said there had been further issues accessing enough food to provide those in need as panic buying had stripped supermarket shelves of needy products.

Mr Garlick said that while Sunassist wanted to increase its Meals on Wheels service, the availability of food and ability to deliver meals was hindering that.

“It’s certainly going to have a massive impact on our service in that it is the most vulnerable who are delivering the service and also receiving the service,” Mr Garlick said.

“Unfortunately, it’s not just our clients but the majority of our volunteers are in that high-risk category with their age and self-isolation is just happening more and more.

“We wanted more people to be able to access the meals and not have to go through the assessment process so at least it helps people out, but on the other hand we have got to look at whether we can actually provide enough meals and can deliver them.

“It’s a double-edged sword — people who are the most vulnerable don’t want to go out into the community, but they have still got to eat and they have still got to live.”

Mr Garlick said the number of people most at risk from the coronavirus was increasing and the situation was “certainly a day-by-day proposition, but almost getting to an hourly proposition”.

“Finding enough volunteers is always a worry, particularly for delivering meals which has become more of an issue because people are going to be staying home,” he said.

“They’re not going to go out for community meals or social outings or anything at all.

“Obviously, some volunteers are not available at certain times and certain days and now the coronavirus is making them think about whether they really need to go out and do this at all.”

Mr Garlick said Sunassist had started culling some services in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’re in the process of cutting back group activities where people are going to be most at risk,” he said.

“Our group activities — social outings, community meals and things like that — today (Thursday) is the last day of that.

“As time goes by more people are self-isolating and not going to appointments that they had — it’s just becoming more of an issue and our volunteers are saying that.

“There’s so much uncertainty and we’re not sure what’s going to happen from day to day.

“It’s becoming more and more crazy every day and it’s a real juggling act at the moment.”