Barbara Street was one of four individuals to receive a Seniors Week award from Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson on March 21.

Two community groups were also recognised.

Mrs Street donated blood for the 400th time just before Christmas.

"It does make you feel good that, in some small way, you're improving someone's health and you could even be saving their life," the 72-year-old said.

She started giving blood as a social outlet when Oak Flats was only a small village, but her donations since that time have helped more than 1300 people.

"When you realise the significance, you carry on," she said.

"Now, I donate plasma every two weeks - as you get older, [plasma donation is] not as harsh on my body and there's high demand for it."

She has also been part of the Red Cross Telecross program for the past 12 years, ringing frail, elderly people to check on them.

"Some of them are housebound and you may be the only outside contact they've had for a couple of days," she said.

She also contributes to House With No Steps, whose residents she called "the forgotten people of today's society".

"I think everybody needs to be involved in something - there's no point in shutting yourself off," she said.

"It keeps your mind active and it makes you feel like you're contributing."

Seniors Week recipients also included Diana Kemp from Flinders for her volunteer work at Elanora Aged Care Facility, Shellharbour's Rosalynne Boothroyd for her contribution to the Australian Dance Adjudicators, and John O'Dwyer, OAM, from Barrack Heights for his associations with the Shellharbour City Sharks, the Illawarra Academy of Sport, Tongarra Heritage Society and the Blackbutt Flinders Probus Club.

Group recipients were Aged and Disability Services Shellharbour for its carer respite program, and Warrigal Auxiliary for fund-raising and activities in four nursing homes.