Charities reeling from losing the majority of their workforce due to the COVID-19 lockdown have welcomed a surge in new volunteers in the form of people who have been stood down from their regular jobs.

Key points: Meals on wheels has welcomed new volunteers who have been stood down at their jobs

Meals on wheels has welcomed new volunteers who have been stood down at their jobs Organisation says most of their regular volunteers are over 70 and have been forced to stay at home

Organisation says most of their regular volunteers are over 70 and have been forced to stay at home The charity has seen a sharp rise in demand for their service due to the lockdown

Meals on Wheels has had its volunteer numbers decimated by restrictions prohibiting people over the age of 70 from leaving the house.

The organisation issued a desperate plea for new volunteers to help them continue to provide meals to vulnerable members of the community.

Sharyn Bourne, from Warilla, is among a new group of volunteers answering the call.

"My Mum and Dad are volunteers who are now in isolation because of their age, so when I was stood down at work I took over their run," she said.

"I'm getting the JobKeeper payment and I wanted to do something to help."

Sharyn Bourne took up her parents' run when she was stood down at her job. ( ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez )

The mother of two is among the 6 million people predicted to take up the JobKeeper payment due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

Naomi Thomson, 29, from Port Kembla, is also in that group.

Naomi Thomson started volunteering for Meals on Wheels when she was stood down form her work a month ago. ( ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez )

She began looking into local charities a month ago when her work in the not-for-profit sector dried up.

"I was talking to some elderly people in the community and they were saying how well they were looked after by Meals on Wheels," Ms Thomson said.

"They knew that for however long the pandemic goes on, they were going to be provided with meals every day and someone was going to check in on them.

"Something in me went 'I could be a part of that and make sure people feel that way'."

Ms Thomson said making her deliveries has now become one of the highlights of her week.

Filling the gaps

Charities like Meals on Wheels are experiencing a sharp rise in demand for their services from a growing section of the community now unable to leave their homes.

Meals on Wheels say they're busier than ever but have lost almost all their volunteers. ( ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez )

With most of their volunteers stuck at home, the organisation has scaled back their deliveries from five days a week to three — and it is only because of these new volunteers that they can keep operating at all.

"We have been really fortunate that we have had a whole group of new volunteers come on board," Meals on Wheels Port Kembla Coordinator, Lisa Roddy, said.

"People that have been laid off from their jobs or young people who are stuck at home have come in and really filled the gaps."

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Sharyn Bourne is one of a new group of volunteers donating their time after they were stood down at work. ( ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez )

'More than delivering food'

These new volunteers are facing significant challenges in their new workplace — not only the increased workload, but also confronting the grim reality of life in lockdown.

"The first shift I found quite hard … it's heartbreaking how lonely some of them are and they're just happy to see you, happy to have a chat and happy to have a bit of time with someone," Ms Bourne said.

"I like to have a joke and I like to have a laugh and I try and make it light-hearted with them so hopefully it's important."

Ellen Strannix is 86 and lives alone in Warilla.

For the last month the only time she has been able to leave the house is to visit the doctor.

"I've been home for about five weeks," Ms Strannix said.

"I was able to go out to get the flu injection and I was all excited about getting out for that."

Meals on Wheels client Ellen Strannix says the social interaction is just as important as the food delivery. ( ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez )

Her regular meal deliveries are a rare moment of human connection that she has come to cherish.

"Sometimes it's hard when you've always been so independent in your life and I just look forward to Sharyn and Lisa coming around and having a wee yarn," Ms Strannix said.

"I wouldn't like to be without them in my life — that's how important they are."