By Mikayla van Loon
The Rotary Club of Lilydale has been busy working away over the last few weeks to pack and deliver appreciation gifts to medical and Covid staff as they continue to wear PPE in the heat.
Having delivered 95 self care packs to Maroondah, Box Hill and the Angliss hospitals already, Rotary member Madalyn Parlet said 50 were delivered to staff at EACH in Lilydale on Thursday 10 February.
“It doesn’t cover the staff by any means but it’s up to the more senior staff to perhaps identify those people who perhaps need a little extra care and attention because they’re struggling under the pressure of the shifts, the workload and just the discomfort of being in hot, sticky conditions all the time,” she said.
EACH’s Covid services officer Toni Williams said the packs were going to start to be handed out on Thursday and then slowly throughout the week as shifts changed.
Still going after two years, Ms Williams said her staff at the Lilydale Covid clinic didn’t think they would still be testing people this far down the track and said to receive appreciation of any kind is lovely.
“It’s just a very generous gift. We do what we do, we don’t expect these sorts of things but it’s lovely and it makes the staff feel really valued and we’re doing a great thing for the community. So it’s a very generous offer,” she said.
Knowing people personally and seeing the conditions nursing staff have to be in while testing people day in and day out, Ms Parlet said the appreciation packs said it seemed like a good fit.
“We were well aware of how difficult it is for staff who are working in PPE for such long hours and particularly when they’re working long shifts,” she said.
“So we’ve given our appreciation packs to try and help the staff just know that the community cares and a little something that will help them to be able to refresh themselves when they have a shower.”
The individually wrapped packs include shampoos, soap and other personal care items so medical staff can shower and feel clean either at work or when they get home.
With the help of CWA Wandin, the colourfully designed bags were all made from recycled fabrics.
“CWA helped us by sewing the bags. So today (10 February) we dropped off 50 bags for staff here in this service and CWA sewed those for us in less than a week,” Ms Parlet said.
As part of the environmental group with the Rotary club, Ms Parlet said it is their aim to recycle goods and reduce the items going to landfill where they can.
“We’ve been able to do that by reusing material that we’ve made the bags out of so that the staff can wash their uniforms, their scrubs, in a laundry bag and keep it separate from their other things.”
Having been able to locate a business in Bayswater called Pinchapoo where personal care items that are close to being out of date are brought by suppliers, the Rotary club was able to collect a range of items.
“So rather than have them go to landfill, or be dumped down the drain and all that sort of thing, they’re recycled onto places where they’re not sold but they can be given over very quickly and used quickly,” Ms Parlet said.
Grateful for the gesture and sure her staff would enjoy receiving such a gift, Ms Williams thanked the Rotary club not just for this donation but for the work they do in the community.
“Rotary are the silent heroes. We’re the Covid heroes but the silent heroes are volunteers out there that do amazing things for the community as well.”
