On Thursday evening 24th August, at the AGM of Mountain View Rest Home and Hospital, President Kevin O’Connor presented The Manager Jeanette Crooks with a Paul Harris Award.The Rotary Club of Kawerau has always had a close association with Mountain View Rest as it is a Charitable Trust belonging to the people of Kawerau.
Most Rotarians have been involved in many aspects of the complex --- for example, there is the Rotary Lounge, they have bought equipment, assisted with functions held there, done gardening, built ramps, and assisted with fundraising; they help with the Blokes Shed for men affected by Alzheimers; and at present there are three Rotarians on the Trust Board – Jocelyn Coburn, Gail Dobbin and John Brierley.
And then there is Murray Hansen who is a resident in one of the cottages.
Jeanette was here at the start of Mountain View and then moved on to work in other hospitals; she returned to us in about 2002 as Clinical Manager and in 2009 became The Manager with responsibility for everything that happens at Mountain View, quite a daunting task. She is always surrounded by challenges and immense responsibility, and we are sure that some days never seem long enough to her for all that the days bring. Jeanette steps into peoples’ lives and makes a difference, often at the worst time in their lives, but with love, gentleness, patience, dignity and endurance she, and her team carry them through their end days.
Ironically this complex was once a maternity hospital with midwives welcoming new lives into the world --- and now Jeanette’s team led by her are also midwives in a sense as the souls depart on another journey assisted with grace and love. The motto of Rotary International is “Service above Self”, and that also applies to Jeanette and her team --- they go above and beyond the call of duty. They have a heart and soul that is infused with caring, and they impact on others’ lives in all their dealings with them, and they put others’ lives above their own.
For us here in Kawerau we recognise all that Jeanette adds to the life of this core organisation of our town and we hope she will still be here to care for us and ours when we should need it. As The Rotary Club of Kawerau we recognise all that Jeanette is by presenting her with a Paul Harris Fellowship. Jeanette responded by saying that she felt very humbled to have received this award and she knows that her Dad would have been happy as he was a very proud and active Rotarian.