Easter weekend was a strange one this year in the Feros Care residential villages. While there are usually lots of activities and events buzzing with large groups of participants, the residential villages needed to take a slightly different approach in order to keep residents safe and protected from the COVID-19 pandemic.
So who better to bring some Easter cheer than our very own In Great Company volunteers? They jumped into action to make it an Easter to remember in the best possible way.
Volunteers from near and far gave their gift of time to support the staff at the villages at Wommin Bay, Byron Bay, and Bangalow over the busy holiday weekend. Arriving in bunny ears and armed with Easter eggs and good cheer, the volunteers welcomed visitors during restricted visiting times, taking vital information and checking temperatures, and supporting clients to call their families on the phone or Skype from their rooms.
“Seeing their faces light up when they could see their families on the screen was just amazing, and it just made my day to be involved as a virtual kindness host,” said one of the volunteers on the day.
Practising social distancing while chatting to clients around the villages was managed by the volunteers and staff, and although one of our roles involved performing vital and safe temperature checking, all other interactions were at a safe distance.
It is especially important during these uncertain times for our residents to remain connected to those they love, and without our volunteers this would have put enormous strain on our clinical staff on site.
Feros Care CEO Jennene Buckley, who also volunteered her time to help out the villages over the weekend, commented this morning:
“Thanks to our amazing volunteers for making this happen. I noticed on the weekend in Byron where I was volunteering, the staff were so busy and they were so appreciative of the volunteers”.
