Home away from home
Rotary House $4,700 - August 2023
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.”
