Staff at Noosa Hospital have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community, following an influx of donations to the medical team during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Director of Clinical Services Shane Mitchell said the community had very kindly provided support to staff by donating food through the YELLOWt Community Care Network – Noosa initiative.
“This program asked businesses to ‘pay it forward’ and from our perspective, the Noosa community met this challenge head-on to say the very least,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Donations have ranged from fruit boxes from the Noosa Farmers Market and the Awesome Little Fruit Shop, to BBQ chickens and hot cross buns from Woolworths, and pizzas from Zachary’s Gourmet Pizza Bar and Domino’s Australia, and there are so many others who also helped out.”
The community’s generosity extended beyond food too, with items such as table runners and tablecloths brightening the Emergency Department’s lunchroom.
“The mother of one of our ED nurses also made some wonderful, cheery caps for the staff to wear, as well as some cloth bags,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Even recently an envelope arrived at the hospital with no return address apart from ‘The Noosa Community’ and it contained a variety of gift vouchers from Riverside Beauty, Domini – Design Elements and Gibsons Homewares Licensed Cafe Catering. These gift vouchers were distributed to the staff deemed by their peers to have gone above and beyond during COVID-19,” he said.
Mr Mitchell said the community spirit was very touching.
“The Noosa Hospital team members are always proud to be part of this very special area but it is in difficult times, such as we are experiencing, that the love that the community has for their hospital really shines through.”
The Noosa Hospital team also wanted to thank locals for their understanding in following the regulations outlined by the Federal Government when visiting the facility – such as adhering to social distancing guidelines and limiting the number of visitors.
“Unfortunately, there have been some instances of aggression towards hospital staff so it is important to remember that the team is there to provide the gold standard of care that we’re known for,” Mr Mitchell said.
“We really are so grateful for your support at this time.”
