The SAN Meal Team is run by the volunteers of the hospital in conjunction with the Dietitians Department with the aim of assisting patients during meal times. Currently the SAN Meal Team looks after the lunchtime meal Monday-Friday, approx 60 minutes a day. A large number of the patients the Meal Team sees need help opening drinks, removing lids, cutting up meals and buttering their breads etc. A smaller number of our patients require actual feeding. And ALL of our patients could do with a smiling face to cheer them up!!

If you are interested in brightening up a patient’s day and have a spare 60 minutes a day or require more information please contact Sarah Liston from SAN Nutrition on (02) 9487 9574.

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Update Number 2 - 13 May 2008

News from the Archbishop of the CPM

After several days of trying to contact the Anglican Church in the Province of Myanmar (CPM), ABM has finally received word from Archbishop Stephen Myint Oo, primate of CPM, last weekend. Archbishop Stephen conveyed his thanks for the prayers and support of ABM and the Anglican Church of Australia. Following is a summary of Archbishop Stephen’s report.

Although the church is struggling to respond to the scale of the emergency, a Provincial Emergency Contingency Committee had been established and 3 assessment teams had been sent to Labutta, Myaungmya and Pantanaw in the Irrawaddy Division. There can be no news of the well-being of clergy in the delta area until assessment teams return to Yangon on 15 May. Medical teams initially sent by the Provincial Office to the Irrawaddy Delta were refused access by local authorities and supplies could not get through and had to return to Yangon

Support the Archbishop’s Emergency Burma Cyclone Appeal

Many of you will be aware of the terrible devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis that hit Burma on May 2nd.

Reports indicate that up to 100,000 people may have lost their lives, and many more are at risk of hunger and disease. Cyclone Nargis has destroyed thousands of homes and wiped out many of Burma’s rice-growing regions.

In response to this disaster, I encourage you to support this urgent appeal. Working through local Churches in Burma, your support will provide much needed emergency relief and ongoing development assistance to effected communities.

Pray for the people of Burma, the coordination of relief efforts, and gaining access to those desperately waiting for assistance.

Call the hotline on 1800 653 903 (toll free).

I am writing to you with some urgent news.

More than 22,500 people are dead, at least 41,000 missing, and two million affected in Myanmar by cyclone disaster.

You may have heard news of the devastating cyclone that hit the south-east Asian nation of Myanmar on 2 May, causing massive loss of life and widespread destruction. A staggering two million people have been affected by the cyclone. Desperate children and families have lost all of their possessions and they need our help now if they are to survive in the aftermath of this enormous tragedy.

The Myanmar Government has asked World Vision to help provide and distribute emergency supplies, and we have sent relief teams to the hardest hit areas to determine urgent needs and what will be required for long-term rehabilitation. The prayers and partnership of the Australian church are vital to our response.