Kilcormac 'Meals on Wheels’ pilot launched

A 'Meals on Wheels' initiative for Kilcormac is being rolled out on a pilot basis by Independent general election candidate Cllr John Leahy. A grant of €3,000 has been secured through National Lottery Funding to kick-start the service and Cllr Leahy said he was delighted with the local goodwill from the public for the project. “I envisage arranging a public meeting in April with a view to establishing a working group to spearhead the project. This will allow us to delegate work accordingly. I've been heartened by the many people, who at this early stage have expressed an interest in delivering meals and others have offered assistance with the preparation of meals,†said Cllr Leahy. Cllr Leahy said he has already met with FÁS to discuss the possibility of using their resources in terms of providing personnel to run 'Meals on Wheels' and he also received advice from the public health nurse who identified the most vulnerable in the community and to ensure that the most needy benefit from the service. “I am also very grateful to the St Joseph's Community Centre committee, who have generously agreed to provide their kitchen facilities and utensils, for their support of the new initiative.†Cllr Leahy said that in addition to providing regular nutritious meals for local people, Meals on Wheels will promote a greater sense of community spirit, and it will increase social interaction for elderly people that may be living in rural locations. Cllr Leahy also wants to compile a database of Meals on Wheels clients to identify whether they need assistance in relation to fire prevention measures. “We will use the information gathered to determine who needs smoke alarms installed in their homes and work towards a regular chimney cleaning programme. Statistics show that between 35 and 40% of fire and emergency calls are for chimney fires and with a successful awareness programme we could greatly reduce this number.†Cllr Leahy believes his fire prevention measures awareness programme, particularly in the wake of the closure of Kilcormac, Banagher and Daingean Fire Stations, can be extended to other areas if successful.