CLOTHING PACKS DONATED TO WOMEN IN CRISIS A not-for-profit foundation is donating clothing packs to Royal North Shore Hospital
to provide to vulnerable women in need. The Betty Cares Foundation partners with hospitals and refuge centres to donate clothing packs with basic essential items to bring dignity and comfort to women in crisis. Royal North Shore Hospital Social Worker Jo Gammo said the clothing packs are a very helpful resource to have. “When women present in crisis they have come with very few of their personal belongings including clothing and often women fleeing intimate partner violence have nothing except the clothes on their back,” Jo said. “Women who have received a Betty Cares bag express significant thanks and gratitude.” The foundation was founded in 2018 and since then has donated over 10,000 clothing packs through healthcare partners across Australia and New Zealand. Jo said the Betty Cares clothing packs are designed to make a difference to women in immediate crisis. “Providing comfort and dignity in a moment of crisis is imperative and something a social worker would advocate for,” Jo said. “The women receiving the clothing packs may be victims of trauma, including sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
RNSH social workers Jo Gammo and Kate Galbraith holding the Betty Cares clothing packs
“We see women who are in an acute mental health crisis, and women who are homeless. “We play a role in promoting the principles for integrated trauma-informed care and providing something as simple as clothing promotes their experience of feeling respected.” To find out more visit https://www. bettycaresfoundation.com/.
END OF AN ERA – RYDE STAFF CELEBRATE THE CHATTERY Ryde Hospital staff have farewelled The Chattery building with one last celebration before it is demolished to make way for the new hospital.
A staff barbeque was held to celebrate the occasion.
The building is nearly 90 years old and was first opened as the hospital’s nurses’ home in December 1937 by the Minister for Health the Hon. H. P. Mr FitzSimons. It provided accommodation for nurses working at the hospital. Over the years the building affectionally became known as The Chattery and Acting General Manager Jennifer McConnell said it has been enjoyed by staff for meal breaks and countless celebrations, including barbeques in the outdoor area. “It was great to be able to come together and celebrate the history of The Chattery,” Jennifer said. “It is also an exciting step forward in the redevelopment and the future of our hospital.”
Ryde Hospital Safety and Quality Unit Manager Janine Carragher saying farewell to The Chattery
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NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 12| 7 JULY 2023
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