It has been a quieter four months than usual Tomaree Breast Cancer Support Group volunteers but they have not been sitting idle while in lockdown.
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Where needed, volunteers have continued to drive breast cancer patients to appointments, further assisted residents of the Tomaree Peninsula living with the disease in any way they could and sewed pillows used by surgery patients.
"We had quite a few volunteers put their hand up to continue driving patients to appointments during the lockdown," support group president Judy Watton said. "Many appointments, especially treatments at hospitals, were cancelled because of restrictions so we made fewer trips. These are beginning to pick back up again."
To protect the health of the volunteers and breast cancer patients when providing support during the pandemic, the group implemented a number of provisions, safety and hygiene measures.
Among these was seating patients being driven to appointments in the back of the vehicle, not accompanying them into their appointment as was traditionally done pre-COVID and cancelling monthly meetings between board members and the highly popular patient morning teas.
Mrs Watton said the group was looking at restarting the morning tea meetings in September.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions implemented by the state government early in the pandemic, the group was also forced to cancel both its major fundraisers for 2020. The golf day in Nelson Bay was days away from being staged when social distancing and gathering restrictions were introduced in March.
The group has also decided to cancel its In the Pink Breakfast, which was due to be held at Nelson Bay Bowling Club at the end of October.
"Organisation of the breakfast takes months and we didn't know what would be happening in October, what the gathering restrictions might be or whether it would be safe," Mrs Watton said.
"We also rely on the generosity of businesses to donate items for our raffles. The pandemic has been very hard on them. These events will be back bigger and better next year."
Vice president Jenny Marshall said the group had been very fortunate to receive donations from businesses and individuals in the community to be able to continue its work.
Shoal Bay Country Club donated $2900 to the group while a head shave undertaken by Jake Smith in March raised $6000. Salamander Bay store Lilly Hill donated proceeds from scarf sales in June to the group.
Contact Tomaree Breast Cancer Support Group on 0431 864 778 or 0423 602 243.
