The Name Says It All
By DEBORAH JOHNSTON
TENDER Loving Cuisine is an
organisation, which delivers healthy meals
to the elderly throughout Sydney,
Newcastle and the Central Coast and is
manned by a group of go-ahead veterans
aged 60-plus. This team of livewire "oldies"
is throwing down the challenge to the more
established organisations by providing a
unique home delivery service.
Headed by 65-year-old chief executive
Jack Barker and 62-year-old client services
manager John Rowland, Tender Loving
Cuisine has the Heart Foundation Tick of
approval, diabetes approval and HACCP
certification and has just launched its online
ordering system.
Not bad for an organisation which had just two people in 2000.
Mr. Rowland?s appointment at Tender
Loving Cuisine (TLC) is still regarded by
CEO Barker as a crucial turning point in his
organisation's fortunes. "Once John agreed
to join in 2000, I was then able to be more
selective to only appoint those sharing my
vision, and who had the essential attribute
of care and compassion for other seniors,"
Mr Barker said.
Fellow TLC staffer Kevin Tallentire, also
62, has been making a difference in people's
lives all through his working life.
As environmental co-ordinator for Coca
Cola Amatil, Mr Tallentire's role was
quality control. "I was involved in several
major projects during my thirty-four years
with Coca Cola, including the design and
building of a multi-million dollar water
treatment system."
Now, in his new role with TLC, Mr
Tallentire is still making a difference by
helping in the development of quality
control systems and as a member of the
client services team, building rapport with
the organisation's elderly clientele.
Couriers like Kathleen Kinchington
who has been delivering meals to the
elderly of the lower North Shore for the past
eight and a half years, said: "By providing
healthy, nutritious meals to the elderly it
allows them to live at home longer."
"I get more out of it then I put into it.
Twice a week I get to visit with my
friends. Many of those I visit are terrified of
going into a nursing home. When they get
their meals home delivered it cuts down on
a lot of stress."
Tender Loving Cuisine was born in 1995
when a close friend of Jack Barker had a car
accident causing serious brain damage.
To help out, Mr Barker arranged meals
for the family during his recovery.
Copyright, NORTH SHORE TIMES
