Volunteers wanted to help with appeal

COLLECTORS will be out on March 8 for the annual Dunedin Hospital Chaplaincy Street Appeal.

The appeal will take place in Dunedin, Mosgiel and Port Chalmers between 9am and 5pm and is one of the main connections the hospital chaplaincy has with the wider public during the year.

The fundraiser provides an important financial boost for the trust, and Dunedin people gave $9777 during the street appeal last year, trust administrator and fundraiser Frances O’Connell said.

‘‘We had a really great appeal last year.’’ In addition to government grants, the trust needed to raise extra funds to cover the shortfall, an aim which the appeal went ‘‘a long way’’ towards fulfilling.

Collectors would be based at more than 20 sites around the city, and while a good number of people were signed up to help, Ms O’Connell was seeking other volunteers to collect on the day.

She said the street appeal was more than just a fundraiser for the trust.

‘‘The appeal allows us to connect with the general public and helps us to raise our profile in the community.

‘‘It’s a wonderful way of raising our profile and making the Dunedin public more aware of the wonderful work done by chaplaincy.’’

The chaplaincy team at Dunedin Hospital includes four ecumenical chaplains, a Maori chaplain and a Catholic chaplain, and nine voluntary chaplaincy assistants, as well as other volunteers who play the organ at Sunday services, hostesses who invite patients to chapel services, and other church and community groups who help take patients in beds and wheelchairs to and from services.

Ms O’Connell said any volunteers wanting to help out in the appeal would be much appreciated, as would any volunteer hostesses and organists, who are a vital part of the chaplaincy team.

‘‘Our volunteers are a large part of our organisation and any help we receive is much appreciated.’’

If you can help on Friday, contact Frances O’Connell on (03) 4740999 ext 58130 or frances.o’connell@southerndhb.govt.nz