"We will buy meals from local businesses to be delivered to staff at Byron and Lismore Base hospitals. We won’t forget wards people, cleaners, those doing the testing, those on the phones and in admin. And we won’t forget night shift. This is also a way we can support local businesses. (Sadly, home-baked meals and treats are not possible due to food safety issues.) At Lismore, which is a very big hospital, we'll begin by taking meals into the Emergency Department, ICU and the COVID wards. We are organising donations of biscuits, teas, coffee, trail mix, chocolate, smoothies and juices to be put in tearooms (and regularly topped up) in these two hospitals....Depending on the amount raised and requests that come in from frontline workers, we will look for ways to offer other support to frontline workers outside their work environment." [Sarah Armstrong, Fundraising Organizer]
This year five members of the Mullumbimby community decided to offer practical support during this particular COVID-19 surge to as many healthcare workers in the public hospital system, support staff who keep the system running and to paramedics who transport people to hospital.
To that end a GoFundMe page was set up and in a matter of the first 16 days and 397 donations had raised $29,610 of a target of $50,000 to provide free hot and cold drinks, healthy snacks, biscuits and meals in the tearooms of Mullumbimby's local hospital Byron Central Hospital and Lismore Base Hospital the dedicated COVID-19 public hospital in the Northern NSW Local Health District.
The Echo reports that organisers have provided their first delivery of meals to Byron Hospital, handing over dozens of pre-cooked dishes prepared by local vegan caterer, Yummify. Lismore Hospital will also receive their first shipment soon, with local business Mayfield Kitchen providing the meals.
Plans are underway to also allow paramedics on duty to access free coffee and snacks at selected cafes under this grassroots community scheme.
Many local businesses and residents from across the region are throwing their weight behind this organised gesture of appreciation.
If you would like to join in by making a small donation to "Front up for the frontline" this is the the link: www.bit.ly/3rrJo70.
The organisers have stated "We’d love to do this for every hospital in our region but it’s a task too big for the six people working on this. We’re happy to offer guidance to anyone wanting to do the same for their local frontline workers."
