Marillac House says thank you to local businesses and supporters.

St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Ms Heather Kent with St Vincent de Paul Society State President, Mr Mark Gaetani, chatting to Robert Fergusson Family Foundation representative, Mrs Mary Fergusson about the renovations at Marillac House.

Marillac House, a Special work of the St Vincent de Paul Society, held an event to thank a number of northern organisations, businesses, and individuals who contributed funds, in-kind products, or at-cost materials to help renovate the historic property in Launceston.

St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Ms Heather Kent, said that renovation work is always an expensive undertaking – especially when it involves renovating bathrooms – and one that the Society could not afford without the support of the local community.

“All historic homes require significant renovations from time to time, so the Society embarked on a drive to find organisations to help us upgrade the bathrooms at Marillac House. Over the past few months, Vinnies has been overwhelmed by the generosity of individuals and businesses who have supported the call for assistance to upgrade the bathrooms at Marillac House to make guests even more comfortable,” Ms Kent said.

“Marillac House is situated in the Launceston CBD and offers affordable family health crisis accommodation to families who are travelling for health-related purposes. We have given each of the nine rooms at Marillac House a home-away-from-home feeling, so that patients who need to be in Launceston for medical attention – along with their carers, and family members – have a comfortable, stress-free place to stay.

“Marillac House is in its 15th year of providing affordable accommodation and supportive care to the community. Over that time, the Society has been upgrading the facilities to improve the experience of our guests.

“Marillac House primarily offers low-cost accommodation to individuals, families, and carers travelling long distances from places including, King Island, Flinders Island, Tasmania’s West Coast, the Northwest and East Coast of Tasmania.

“It is important that people travelling to Launceston for health related reasons do not have to stress about having somewhere warm, safe, and welcoming to stay. Many of our guests cannot afford hotels, or they don’t have family nearby, so Marillac House is their lifeline at a time of need.

“Marillac House first opened its doors to guests in October 2007. In recent years, Marillac House has been a home-away-from-home for over 1,200 people on an annual basis, with almost 400 people being new referrals to the service. While COVID-19, Marillac House still received 627 referrals to the service and provided accommodation to 1,001 people during the past 12 months.

“Marillac House works closely with the local hospitals and allied health services. It offers a comprehensive and compassionate service to all of our guests; supported by a number of volunteers who dedicate their time to help us to maintain the service and upkeep the home.

“The Society is grateful to the many businesses, organisations, and individuals who have supported our call for donations of goods and cash donations to that we can continue to offer the services of Marillac House to guests from across Tasmania, especially the islands and remote regional areas,” Ms Kent said.

MEDIA NOTES: The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris, France in 1833 by a 20-year old Italian student, Frederic Ozanam. Today, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members. Australia has over 60,000 members, dedicated to assisting people in need and combating social injustice. The Society started in Tasmania in 1899 when founders established a Conference in Launceston. From humble beginnings, the Society has grown to 25 Conferences within three Regional Councils across Tasmania. Each Conference undertake a variety of good works, the most recognised being the traditional Vincentian home visits and the annual CEO Sleep-out to draw attention to homelessness.

_{Media contact, Mark Wells: +61 414 015 966 (24-hours)
© St Vincent de Paul Society and MWPA.}