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New furniture for Herb Bassett Home

Apr 4, 2017 | 5:00 PM

Residents at Herb Bassett Home are sitting more comfortably.

Roughly 60 pieces of hospital grade furniture was purchased for the long-term care home, which includes customized tables and chairs that can lower for easier use. The furniture was purchase after donations were made by Redhead Equipment and fiddler Donny Parenteau.

Each held fundraisers to help residents at Herb Bassett out with Redhead bringing in more than $51,000 and Parenteau, who held a fundraising concert last year called Fiddle Frenzy, brought in $5,400.

To mark the occasion, Parenteau held a small concert for residents on Tuesday.

Sherry Buckler, executive director for the Victoria Hospital Foundation, said she and the residents were grateful for the donations as Herb Bassett needed new furniture. She said the fiddle event was important not only because it raised funds but also spread the message that the home needed help.

“With a lack of government funding and the economy the way that it is, we depend heavily on our community to help with some of these things,” she said. “That Fiddle Frenzy event really shown a light on an issue we were trying to solve and it brought solidarity in the community. It rallied people behind the residents at the Herb Bassett Home.”

Buckler said the event was such a success she hopes Parenteau will put on the show again.

She explained both the hospital and the home have a never ending list of needs with the bulk of that list consisting of medical equipment and furniture. She said it can be challenging to always meet those needs especially with a reduction in funding from the provincial government.

Besides donations, Buckler explained volunteering also plays a key role at both the hospital and the long-term care homes. While volunteer numbers haven’t gone down, she did say people are more strategic with their time.

“People who give their time are often not appreciated enough, in my opinion,” she said. “We both know how busy life can get. Where will you find three more hours in your day to go help somebody and who needs you? It is hard today with two working parents.”

She added she’s grateful for any volunteer who is willing to donate his or her time.

 

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter