Manager of Meals on Wheels Peter Gallagher said that means there is also greater need for volunteers to support the demand.

"We have to keep our band of volunteers going," Mr Gallagher said.

Currently the service has 120 volunteers on its books, but they would like to see around 150 to meet the demand.

"Most volunteers do one delivery a month and we have other volunteers who do one a week or two a week and we've got a few volunteers who do three a week," Mr Gallagher said.

"It's the volunteers who make this business work.

They put 14,000 hours into this business every year and without them we could not function."

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson took time out recently to thank the volunteers for continuing to support local elderly clients throughout the pandemic.

"Tamworth Meals on Wheels do a great job in supporting our community and I want to thank Manager Peter Gallagher, his team and all the volunteers who keep the service running," Mr Anderson said.

"The past two years have been particularly challenging for the elderly.

"Isolation has been a big issue for many in our community and I know how important it is for clients to have a point of contact with service providers like Meals on Wheels.

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"In 2021, Tamworth Meals on Wheels delivered around 100,000 meals to 300 clients and the need for their services in our community continues to grow as our city grows.

"With a team of just six full time and two part time staff, the service relies on volunteers who have all done a fantastic job throughout the pandemic and I want to thank them for their service to their community."

People can register to volunteer for Meals on Wheels online or by calling Tamworth Meals on Wheels on (02) 6765 8999.

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