If you were at the Meals on Wheels office yesterday you might have thought Margaret Priest was a client, when in reality the 81-year-old is one of its longest-serving delivery drivers.
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Margaret Priest says she has been volunteering "for donkey's years" and yesterday chalked up a very impressive milestone.
She is celebrating 40 years' delivering food to people in need, in a role which has taken her "all over" to every suburb in Wagga.
"I told a couple of people today that this was my 40th year doing it. It seems funny actually when I think back," she said.
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"I used to take my boys with me. And then my grandchildren. The older people just love it when you take young ones with you."
Mrs Priest goes on her familiar route every fortnight, but says the service is about much more than just dropping off food.
"It's been a really interesting time. And I've had some really lovely people to go to," she said.
She said while Meals on Wheels had brought her a lot of joy there were sad moments too, when visiting someone who needed more care than they were getting.
"I used to go to a lady in Kooringal and she was a lovely lady but she couldn't look after herself and the place was in a big mess," she said.
"Then one day I happened to see her up at the Home of Compassion and she had lovely white fluffy hair and lovely clothes on and she looked entirely different."
Mrs Priest has reached the point where some of her clients are younger than her but has no plans to stop anytime soon.
"I've got a friend and she's 98 and she did Meals on Wheels for 43 years and I've got to beat her record," she said.
Catie McLeod
Catie is a reporter at The Daily Advertiser covering health and Wagga City Council. You can contact her on c.mcleod@dailyadvertiser.com.au or 0475 819 651.
Catie is a reporter at The Daily Advertiser covering health and Wagga City Council. You can contact her on c.mcleod@dailyadvertiser.com.au or 0475 819 651.
