FUNDRAISING MORNING TEA

A fundraising morning tea supported by the Hervey Bay RSL Community Grants Program to raise awareness for Myositis was a smashing hit with guests raising over $3700 on the day

The month of May was Worldwide Myositis Awareness month, so organiser and local Myositis Association Australia member Robert Anderson held the morning tea to raise awareness and funds to help find a treatment for the rare condition. Myositis is an inflammation of the muscles that can cause them to become weak, tired and painful. It can affect anyone of any age, including children.

Congratulations to Robert and his team for a job well done.

COMFORT

Food

A new partnership between the Hervey Bay RSL and Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre will provide ongoing support for Comfort Kitchen

The sponsorship of $1000 per month for the next 12 months through the club's community grants program will ensure that the much-loved Comfort Kitchen, which is run entirely on donations and volunteer time, continues to serve nutritious meals and good company for those doing it tough.

This ongoing support will provide close to 100 meals per week to members of our community.

RSL committee member Robert Garland visited Comfort Kitchen last month to announce the sponsorship and to thank the volunteers who work tirelessly each week to prepare and serve a three-course meal.

HBNC CEO Tanya Stevenson presented Robert with a Neighbourhood Share Plate as a token of HBNC's gratitude for the donation and expressed her heartfelt thanks for the generous donation.

“Comfort Kitchen could not happen without the support of the community, and a contribution as significant as this will make an incredible difference to this vital program,” Tanya said.

“The funds will help cover the costs of purchasing food each week, which is increasingly challenging as cost-ofliving pressures rise.

“We know many people in our community rely on Comfort Kitchen to receive a hot, nutritious meal each week, and to gather with friends, so I

Home Away From Home

GUESTS staying at Rotary Hospital

House now have a cool and shaded verandah to relax on thanks to a $4,700 grant from the Hervey Bay RSL Community Grants Program.

The Rotary Club of Hervey Bay City were successful in gaining the grant to install four Zipscreen exterior blinds at the back of the home, which is located near the cafeteria on the grounds of the Hervey Bay Hospital.

The fitting of the blinds was part of a refurbishment to the home with air conditioners installed in all six rooms plus the common room, new flooring and a new front door and surrounds were also recently installed by the Rotary club.

The Hervey Bay community and over 100 local businesses opened their hearts and their wallets for the home to be built in 2010 so that families of ill patients had access to low-cost emergency accommodation on the grounds of the Hervey Bay Hospital.

The Rotary Hospital House committee fundraised relentlessly to build the facility and the rooms at Rotary Hospital House were fitted out and furnished by

The Lions Club of Hervey Bay, The Rotary Club of Hervey Bay City, The Zonta Club of Hervey Bay, The Rotary Club of Maryborough, The partners of the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay, Hervey Bay RSL and the Community Area by The Fraser Coast Lions Club.

Rotary member Ross Boles said the back of the home was in desperate need of blinds to provide shade and reduce the heat intensity in the building.

“The grant has improved the comfort of Rotary Hospital House residents, reduced air conditioner running costs for the Hervey Bay Hospital and completed the refurbishment of the facility.

“We think Rotary House is a great facility with its usage extending much further than the Fraser Coast; in fact, most of the people using it come from areas outside the Wide Bay.

“The refurbishment was only able to be completed with the help of a

RSL Community Grant. Thank you.”

A Queensland Health spokesperson said each unit has its own ensuite and guests have 24-hour access to the communal kitchen and lounge area which provides a homely and supportive atmosphere for those a long way from home. This means that families of patients have a place to go for a shower, a sleep, prepare a meal or to have a break and still be close to the hospital.

“A big thank you to our friends at the Hervey Bay RSL for donating these zip blinds.

“They will make for a much more comfortable and private stay for the many families who live in Rotary House while their loved ones are being cared for at the hospital.

“If you have a loved one who is or will be a patient in Hervey Bay Hospital, and could do with onsite accommodation support, please reach out to the team caring for them who can put you in contact with the right person.”

If you would like to support Comfort Kitchen, donate online at www.hbnc.com.au/Appeal/comfort kitchen-appeal Donations of $100 and over will receive a Neighbourhood Share Plate, while stocks last.