Hard working health staff in Mareeba have been gifted meals to help them deal with COVID-19 related challenges.
Through the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s “Feed our Health Heroes” campaign, meals have been donated to Mareeba Hospital staff.
Mareeba Hospital Midwifery Nurse Unit Manager Michelle Bombardieri said staff were overwhelmed at the community support.
“It’s an example of how our Mareeba community has come together to support the hospital. Our community own our hospital. Like everybody, COVID-19 has impacted everybody, families with COVID-19 and staff involved in caring for our community,” Ms Bombardieri said.
Mareeba Friends of the Hospital Foundation, a subsidiary of the FNQHF, chairman Neil Setford was very excited about the initiative.
“We’re grateful to the Cairns community for kicking this off down here, and we can now announce that Mareeba Rotary have come on board to support the program. We’re hoping other local businesses will get on board as well. The Mareeba Hospital is very much a big part of our community and we know the community feels a sense of ownership of the hospital. We all care for our health workers and this is a very tangible way we can show it,” Mr Setford said.
Mareeba Rotary President James Howe said Rotary has always been a strong supporter of the Mareeba Friends of the Hospital foundation since its inception. “As a community organisation we believe supporting our community through our hospital is also one of our priorities. We value the work that the Foundation does and we are committed to providing the continued support that we give to the Mareeba Hospital through the Mareeba Friends.
Foundation CEO Gina Hogan was delighted to see the results of community supporting our health heroes. “The campaign’s doing well. We kicked off with a $10, 000 donation from the Northern Frontier Foundation and we’re now up to almost $16, 000,” Mrs Hogan said. “Because of the Foundation’s cafes, we’ve been able to distribute hundreds of meals to well-deserving Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service staff so far,” she said.
“We know many staff of the health service are under a lot of pressure. Some are working extra shifts, going the extra mile to care tirelessly for patients and they’re doing multiple days of on-call. In those circumstances, sometimes you don’t get time to cook a meal or go to the shops, so this is our way of giving those health staff a boost.”
The Foundation is providing meal vouchers for the Hungry Pug to be distributed by Mrs Bombardieri to staff.
Hungry Pug owner Victoria Crosby said she and her team love supporting their local community. “You’ve got to look after the people who look after us, it’s as simple as that. From having to go up there for a medical emergency, these people aren’t just doctors and nurses, they’re mates, they’re customers and they’re a pivotal part of our community here in Mareeba,” Ms Crosby said.
Photo: Mareeba Hospital Midwifery Nurse Unit Manager Michelle Bombardieri, Hungry Pug’s Victoria Crosby, FNQHF board member Robyn Boundy, Simon Crosby and Mareeba Hospital Emergency Department Nurse Unit Manager Kristen Mete.
