Heywood Lions Club’s One Can Make a Difference project has been one of the district’s real success stories this year, and it received a timely Christmas boost this week.
That was thanks to Heywood Rural Health staff, who donated a range of perishable food, Christmas treats and decorations, toys and small gifts under the #FriendsAreFor hashtag program.
It will enable Lions to add some extra Yuletide flavour to the food hampers it has been distributing this year to those in need in the region.
HRH workplace coach Lauren Newman said the health service had done a lot of work this year on supporting staff and the latest program was another example.
“It does a lot for staff (morale),” she said.
The donations for the Lions program were from three areas of the hospital – the community medical centre, the acute residential hospital and the administration wing.
Lions club member Judy MacPherson has been the driving force behind One Can Make a Difference and said the Christmas flavour was perfect to give recipients an extra boost in the next week.
“I see the smiles on the kids’ faces and the thankfulness of the people that receive the hampers,” she said.
Club president Graeme Bond agreed.
“Most of the projects we do you can see the result physically, but this is probably the best project Lions has ever taken on,” he said.
“We thank Heywood Rural Health so much for their contribution to the food hampers, it’s just what we (need) to give everyone some extra Christmas cheer.”
Anyone wanting to donate to One Can Make a Difference can do so at the Heywood IGA.
“We thank the IGA and the community, the IGA have done a fantastic job for us,” Mr Bond said.
