Over 120 people turned up to join the volunteer army and help over the weekend, and all the homes were sponsored by local businesses. There were many other contributions, too.
She said the local business community really got behind this year’s event, with support from Platinum Sponsors Educare and Gold Sponsors Northpower, Guthrie Bowron, Level and Diamond Fusion.
“North Haven Hospice provides such incredible service, supporting people through difficult and often stressful times.
“We hope this donation helps to provide additional support for patients and their families to make these challenging times just a little bit easier,” Bennet said.
Some of the funds donated will be used to replace the call bell system for the in-patient unit at Tikipunga, said North Haven Hospice acting chief executive Dr Warrick Jones.
“We want to ensure our equipment is working at an optimal level for the people we are caring for, providing what they need when they need it,” Jones said.
The significant contribution means North Haven will be able to address other needs in hospices across the region.
“We are so indebted to everyone in the community who gives their own time and energy to support us, and the results that have been achieved with this year’s Hospice House Tour are phenomenal,” Jones said.
The biennial Hospice House Tour event was started in 2009, but last year’s event was postponed due to Covid.
Whangārei Hospice dumped on
Whangārei North Haven Hospice Shop has recently begged the public not to dump unwanted goods and rubbish outside its stores.
It’s heart-breaking to open the back doors to the store after a weekend and see rubbish has been dumped, said Whangārei North Haven retail manager Kathy McMillan.
“It’s been going on for the last four weeks at least, and usually we find this sort of thing on a Monday. It’s so frustrating, as every dollar we make contributes to people in need out in our community, and this takes our volunteers time, to clean it up, load it into the truck and dump it,” McMillan said.
“The last load cost us over $200. I’m not looking forward to the Christmas break.”
The rubbish removal has become the highest cost in the shop’s annual budget - last year, it was over $25,000.
With a requirement to raise approximately $50,000 a week to meet the growing gap between Government funding and the annual costs of North Haven Hospice’s free community services, it is an ongoing blow.
“I don’t know what people think. In the bigger picture, their rubbish ends up costing someone’s mother or father; a friend or child that is living with a life-limiting condition or terminal illness.”
