‘People need a little kindness’ — 40 years of Bloomfield Hospital Auxiliary

For 40 years, Sister Mary Trainor and the volunteers of Bloomfield Hospital Auxiliary have been offering a little kindness and hope to patients — now they themselves could really use a helping hand

Founded in October 1982, the Bloomfield Hospital Auxiliary has been supporting patients and staff of the hospital by fundraising to meet needs as they arise — no matter how big or small.

“Basically, what we do is we raise money and then, at the meetings, decide how to spend that money. We go through any requests that come-up, and anything that needs addressing amongst the wards,” said Acting President Tania O’Donahue.

Over the years, the auxiliary has paid for a wide variety of items, such as a fish pond, sensory garden, pool tables, boxing bags, a new garden shed, a therapy dog, and even Easter eggs to distribute among the wards every Easter.

“You might say, ‘now that's a waste’, but no, it's not,” said Sr Trainor, who has held the position of secretary since the founding of the auxiliary. “It gives a little bit of pleasure and a little bit of hope, so every resident in Bloomfield Hospital will get a bunny or Easter egg courtesy of the auxiliary — and at Christmas, we give a present to every resident.”

For 22 years, Sr Mary was the Bloomfield Hospital Chaplain and has remained with the auxiliary as she understands that it fills a real need.

“There’s all the extra things, like if people come in from being (sleeping rough) under a bush for the last six weeks, or under a bridge or somewhere; anything they're wearing you wouldn't insult the washing machine with. So what do they wear? 

“Vinnies (who do provide clothes) don't do underwear, so we will get a supply of underwear from time to time so that people who come in with nothing can have proper underwear,” she said.

And all the little things they do to make life in the hospital better, make a big difference, she said.

“As Chaplain, I realised how much these people needed a little bit of kindness,” said Sr Mary. “The hospital can’t go and get a punching bag or a bicycle or a sensory garden and they seem to be things that the people respond to positively.”

But for the past two years, COVID has put a hold on all the usual auxiliary fundraising activities, said Tania.

Generous donations and grants have been enough to keep the work of the auxiliary going, but they could really use more help to get out and raise more money.

“We haven’t held a barbecue for two years now, but you can't have a barbecue run by four members, we need more help on those days for setting up, taking shifts cooking one to serve, we need to have more people,” she said.

If you could lend at hand to the Bloomfield Hospital Auxiliary, email Sr Mary at: mary.trainor@mercy.org.au or call 662 1662; Tania O'Donahue can be reached on 0434 429 183.

Membership fee is currently only $5 per year and monthly meetings are held at Bloomfield Hospital on the second Wednesday of each month at 12.30pm.