Mags cheer up hospital patients

“Those magazines are AMAZING! Thank you , thank you, thank you!”

That was the response from volunteer coordinator Maria Mariotti to the MPA’s first delivery of magazines to Auckland City Hospital wards last week.

Member publishers donated 250 titles – including  New Idea, NZ Gardener, NZ Life & Leisure and many others – to the hospital, to be distributed among patients and caregivers, as part of the Companion Volunteer programme. The programme – currently in seven wards, but to be extended to more than 20 by next year – aims to improve the patient and caregiver experience, and volunteer Ian Chen says the magazines are very popular. As well entertaining patients and helping them relax, they are great conversation starters, he says.

The MPA is working with Ovato to explore ways of making the magazine donations a regular event. If you would like to be part of the scheme, email me on [email protected]