Specsavers Keilor has donated almost $2,100 to The Western Health Foundation, which manages several public hospitals in Melbourne’s west.
The money is being used to renovate the Cardiac Care Unit Day Room at Footscray Hospital to make the space more comfortable and welcoming for patients and visitors. The refurbishment will include new furniture, flooring, and cupboards and kitchen facilities so people can make tea and coffee while they wait.
Shannon Shephard, the hospital’s Donor Development and Communications Manager, says, “We are very grateful to Specsavers Keilor for their donation to The Western Health Foundation. Thanks to their generosity, the Cardiac Care Unit Day Room at Footscray Hospital will receive a much needed refurbishment, something we wouldn’t have been able to complete otherwise.
“The multi-purpose room is used as a waiting space for families when there are too many visitors at the patient’s bedside, when patients become seriously ill and their family would like to stay close by, as well as providing a space for patients to sit whilst awaiting transfer or when they need a change of scenery from their hospital room. We hope the new space is a less clinical and more welcoming environment for our patients and visitors.”
Peter McDonough, Specsavers Keilor store partner, says, “As a Specsavers store partner, I understand how important it is to have a comfortable waiting area for customers. Even more so at the hospital, where families are spending extended periods of time supporting a loved one going through a difficult time, it’s much easier if the environment is welcoming and comfortable.
“We are happy to have been able to contribute to the refurbishment and hope it makes a difference to the patients and visitors of the Footscray Hospital.”
The money was raised predominantly through the Specsavers Community Program, which gives customers a token that represents a donation when they purchase a pair of glasses. The customer chooses to drop the token into a box for a local charity or a second box that collects for Specsavers’ national charity of choice, The Fred Hollows Foundation.
