Those are the words of Brian Kellett who for the past 15 years has been a volunteer for Orange's Meals on Wheels service.

On top of delivering food to those who need it, four times a week he will take a lady out and help with the weekly shop.

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"Generally with the ladies, we got out, have a shop and have a laugh," he said.

"It gets them out of the house with somebody and it gets me out of the house."

But last year that all changed.

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Because of the Covid outbreak and the fact that most of the volunteers who help with these services were classed as vulnerable, for their own safety, they were unable to help out for several months during 2020.

"I'm in the high risk age category because I'm 76 so my daughter was doing all the shopping for me and my hair was down to my shoulders," Mr Kellett said.

"A couple of the ladies used to keep in contact over the phone to see how things were going and when we might be back, so you didn't totally ignore them.

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"You become friends and have cups of coffee and stuff."

But while volunteers like Mr Kellett were put on the shelf for a few months, demand for services like Meals on Wheels surged as services policy committee chair Scott Munro explained.

"Under normal circumstances Choices at Home Food Services deliver an average of 80 meals per day, 5 days per week," he said.

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"The Food Services team consists of 3 staff members and a force of 185 volunteers. During 2020, because volunteers were unable to volunteer, services had to be reduced from 5 days per week to 3 days per week.

"A comparison with the onset of COVID reveals a 35% increase in meal deliveries and a 40% increase in clients in 2020.

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"There was also a high demand for grocery shopping services as seniors preferred not to venture out. With the suspension of volunteers, coupled with the interruption of social support outings, all Choices at Home staff filled the void by collecting grocery lists and delivering items to clients at their home."

On the ground, Mr Kellett has also noticed an increase and is hopeful that anyone who needs a helping hand will continue to reach out.