The meals -- ranging from crispy chicken and hearty hamsteaks to rich, braised beef -- are wonderful in themselves, especially if you are elderly, ill, or immobilised by an accident. Even better than the meals, however, which arrive so miraculously `on wheels', are the people who bring these moveable feasts to the door.

This fact is generally agreed among the 150 people who, thanks to a large team of volunteers, receive hot, daily noontime lunches through the Meals on Wheels scheme. Unfortunately, for some, this necessarily brief encounter is one of the few contacts they have with the outside world.

"Oh yes, people are very pleased to see us,'' says Dorothy Evans who, along with Kay Robinson, founded the scheme 21 years ago. "At one point, particularly when we first began, we were quite often the only people who saw these elderly, closeted folk. I think things have improved a little since then, with Social Services providing more in the way of care, but we do keep an eye on them and have contact numbers in cases of emergency.'' Every day, a miniature army of cars, stacked high with freshly cooked and prepared food, drives out of the new headquarters on Middle Road in Paget, fanning out in 12 different directions to ensure that the entire Island, from Dockyard to St. David's is covered.

It's all a far cry from the early days, when Mrs. Evans and her then small band of helpers served an average of 15 meals a day that were cooked in the King Edward VII Hospital kitchen. "We soon found we had a waiting list of people, however, so we moved, temporarily, into the Christian Education Centre at St. Paul's Church -- and stayed for 18 years!'' Today, this vital community service is run by two part-time salaried people (administrator Barbara Frith and kitchen co-ordinatror Joann Cassidy) and each day, four volunteer cooks tackle ever-changing menus chosen by a committee.

"We have a six-week cycle of menus,'' explains Mrs. Evans, "which may mean chicken is served two or three times, but never in the same guise -- one day it could be `a la King' and another, baked -- so a meal is not repeated.'' Admitting she had "no idea'' the scheme would grow to such proportions, the widow of the late Canon Peter Evans says she brought the idea back from Canada after a visit there in 1970. Paradoxically, her organization has become so successful that it is now in urgent need of more volunteers. In order to care for the many people who rely on Meals on Wheels, at least 24 volunteers are required, every day, to help prepare, pack and deliver.

"We have a wonderful group, a lot of them are over 80! We ask for two hours a day, and sometimes people volunteer to come in four days a week! Meals are served on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., so that's the crunch time. We could really do with some younger people getting involved. There are some who manage to help out, even though they work -- either through flexible work hours or extending a lunch hour.'' Meals on Wheels receives a "very welcome'' Government grant and donations from individuals, clubs and trusts. "We are a charitable organization, but not a charity,'' Mrs. Evans emphasises. "We do charge $3 per meal but if a person can't pay we can help out -- confidentially, of course. Some donors sponsor the cost of meals for a month, or even for one year, which works out at $600.'' It is her proud boast that the microwave is used "only in emergencies'' and the new headquarters, very spacious today, but planned for efficient use ten or 15 years down the road. "I've had chefs come in and look around and they've said, `I would kill for a kitchen like this'! We were very grateful to Donald Lines who raised $1 million, so that we could maintain the building in the future and not end up being a millstone to future volunteers.'' The meals are attractively served in large, TV-type trays sectioned for the entree, two vegetables, pasta, or rice. "In winter, we serve soup in insulted cups and in summer, juice. Dessert, which may be a baked apple, pudding, fruit salad or brownies, is served in `Dixie' cups,'' explains Mrs. Evans. "We can produce vegetarian meals, if required, and we cater for people with special dietary needs, such as diabetics or cancer patients, so clients need to have a form completed by their doctors.'' The programme, she stresses, is not purely for the elderly or infirm: "It's for people who may have been hospitalised by a broken leg, for instance. A social worker often decides to release a person from hospital if they have help at home -- and that includes Meals on Wheels. So we serve the young, and the not so young as well as the elderly.'' Volunteering does not always end with mere delivery of a meal. "Sometimes, we do little chores for people, posting letters and so on and, perhaps most important for those who are `shut in', to find time for a little chat. It is this aspect of our work,'' concludes Mrs. Evans, "that our volunteers enjoy because it makes it all so rewarding.'' Anyone who would like to offer their services as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels is asked to telephone 236-1815.