Appreciation meal for ‘often unseen’ work of Gisborne Hospital staff

A delighted Rachel Cook and her more reserved fellow ophthalmology clinical nurse specialist Teri-Anne Peneha look forward to enjoying two of the lunches provided to 450 Gisborne Hospital staff members yesterday. Rapid Relief Team Gisborne leader Clarke Judd said they wanted to show “care and compassion” to hospital staff and to thank them for their work through tough times. Picture supplied

Hundreds of Gisborne Hospital staff were thanked for their care, skills and community devotion with an “appreciation meal” at lunchtime yesterday.

Rapid Relief Team (RRT) Gisborne leader Clarke Judd and eight volunteers showed their “care and compassion” by cooking 450 signature RRT burgers and sausages with bread, and providing drinks, including their own branded water, to wash it down with.

“We wanted to show some appreciation for the work done by the hospital staff,” said Mr Judd. “2023 has been a tough year for everyone. We wanted to do something for nurses and other hospital staff. Their work often goes unseen.”

One hospital staff member, who preferred to remain anonymous, fully endorsed the quality of the burgers.

“The hamburgers are absolutely delightful. They’re better than the ones you get in shops.”

Mr Judd said RRT had six staff members in Gisborne and could rely on more than 100 members in other places.

RRT is based in 42 locations around New Zealand and in 14 countries.

“Our mission is to serve people with care and compassion in their time of need.

“We focus on homelessness, poverty and hardship, youth, health and disability, emergency and disaster relief.”

Health NZ - Tairāwhiti interim hospital lead Carl McDonald said he appreciated RRT “giving some love back to our staff who have had a hard time”.

“We’re normally the ones doing the caring. To have a bit of care for the carers is great.”

Mr McDonald said he had been working at the hospital since 2016 and had never seen anything like RRT’s gesture of appreciation.

“But it’s been an unusual time with cyclones and everything else.”

Mayor Rehette Stoltz paid tribute to RRT, who she said had provided food at Relay for Life and for families forced to stay at the House of Breakthrough during Cyclone Gabrielle.

“If we need them, we know we can call them.”

RRT typified the community spirit prevalent in Tairāwhiti, she said.

RRT was established by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church in 2013.

Their activities are funded by businesses owned by church members.