Niall O Sullivan – Meals on Wheels Rathcoole

Saturday brings out sixth inspiring story of volunteers who helped keep our country connected during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Niall was already selflessly volunteering but went the extra mile once Covid-19 entered our lives. Here is his story

Hi , My name is Niall and I got involved in meals on wheels in Rathcoole Community Centre about 18 months ago . The meals are prepared in Peamount hospital in Newcastle and by all accounts the quality is top class. I deliver to about 12 to 14 people that reside in the Newcastle, Rathcoole and Saggart areas.

A few of the people I deliver to live alone in remote locations and greatly appreciate the few minutes chat as well as the food . For these people this may be the only contact they have all day.  Should it happen that the door is not answered I will report this back to the centre who will contact the person’s relative to ensure all is ok. I must say here that the local postman plays a similar role .

It was noticeable that when Covid came to us back in March how frightened these people became . This was totally understandable as they were one of the most vulnerable groups and were being constantly bombarded by bad news on the effects this virus could have on them . They were advised to cocoon and most were very anxious . One lady was so afraid that she wouldn’t even go out in her back garden for fresh air and a bit of exercise. I spent a little extra time with such people trying to reassure them that all will be ok and this thing will pass in time . Thankfully to date none have caught the deadly disease.

I retired from work 3 years ago and had a bit of spare time so when I saw the advert looking for volunteer drivers for meals on wheels I decided to give it a go . I had heard before from other volunteers in various organisations like St. Vincent de Paul , Simon etc that volunteering is a very rewarding and satisfying experience and I must say that is also the case for me . You’re doing something that has a real and positive impact on someone else’s life .

Hopefully , when I’m eligible to get meals on wheels delivered to myself all my hard work and knowing the “right people” will bump me up the list . But that’s a long way down the road (hopefully) ……