Mercy Hospital is a non-profit organisation with charitable status and giving back to our community is at our core. Our charitable outreach programme is overseen by our Mission Coordinator and all funding decisions are carefully considered by our Charitable Outreach Committee. The committee is guided by the Corporal Works of Mercy.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink."
Gospel according to Matthew, 25:35
Outreach Partners
Mercy's charitable outreach programme partners with local organisations to support the delivery of their programmes in our community. Among our partners are charitable organisations such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, Fred Hollows Foundation, Otago Community Hospice, United Way and the Dunedin Night Shelter.
Surgical Fees Relief
Part of our charitable outreach is surgical fees relief, where we assist people whose quality of life would be improved by surgery, but who lack the resources to pay for treatment and do not qualify for timely intervention in the public hospital system. Applications are usually made through the patient’s medical specialist. Most applicants make a financial contribution to the cost of their surgery and Mercy Hospital’s charitable outreach programme meets the remaining costs.
Supporting Staff Fundraising
Many of our staff choose creative ways to fundraise for causes close to their heart and our charitable outreach encourages this spirit of atawhai. Mercy mission proudly matches all funds raised dollar-for-dollar, as a way to foster the spirit of Mercy within our staff. Worthy causes our staff have championed include Relay for Life, Heart Kids, Gumboot Day, Loud Shirt Day and Red Puppy Bikkie Day.
Works of Mercy Education Project
A recent addition to our mission and charitable outreach programme sees us partner with local schools to provide tuition for students.
Since 2018 we have partnered with St Bernadette's Primary School, working with up to eight students of Maori and Pacific Island descent each year. The school identifies students who would benefit from additional support in numeracy, and Mercy sponsors the students to receive tutoring at Dunedin Number Works for a term.
Our Mercy Centre of Learning provides extra literacy and numeracy support for up to 50 local high school students of Maori and Pacific Island descent. Tutors from the University of Otago are engaged to provide expert tuition to the students every Thursday evening during term time. The students are fed and tutored in a warm and welcoming environment at Marinoto House.
We are very proud of our Charitable Outreach and our ability to make a difference in our community. We are Mercy.
"The poor need help today, not next week."
Catherine McAuley
Marjorie Barclay Trust
Each year, Mercy Hospital receives a generous donation from the Marjorie Barclay Trust to purchase items that would benefit Mercy patients.
The purpose of the Marjorie Barclay Trust is to promote arts/culture/heritage, care/protection of animals, people with disabilities, education/training/research, environment/conservation and health within New Zealand.
You can read about our purchases with these donations in previous years on our News page.
