Pictured above: Christian Sant, Olivia Sciberras, Josè Busuttil, Vanessa Portelli, Mark Mamo, Neville Agius, Kelly Azzopardi, Diane Farrugia, Daniela Hollier, Diane Attard, Benjamin Portelli, Max Borg Bonello and Marcon Agius 

Paola Hostel, a joint venture between Richmond Foundation and Mount Carmel Hospital has been given a much needed upgrade thanks to a CSR day organised by GasanMamo Insurance employees. The Hostel provides accommodation with 24 hour support to men with mental health problems. The accommodation part of the Hostel is an important element in the safety the hostel provides to these men, with areas where they can rest and spend time with friends.

GasanMamo employees got busy with the maintenance of the rooms, painting walls in the sitting room, kitchen, office and corridors and the moving of furniture and finishing touches to make the rooms sparkly and cool, ready for the New Year. “We recognise the indispensible service that the Hostel extends to men who are experiencing mental health problems. We are hopeful that through our input and help, the home will continue to offer a better environment and moments of respite in their troubled lives,” said Mark Mamo, General Manager of GasanMamo Insurance.

At Paola Hostel, through comprehensive assessment and continued care planning, residents are encouraged to work upon their abilities and maximize their strengths. The Hostel provides community based long-term accommodation and 24 hour care for eleven males, previously residing at Mount Carmel Hospital; offering them the necessary support to maintain a good level of independence and minimise the need for psychiatric admissions. It also assists each resident according to his individual capabilities in relation to his daily activities and helps each resident build and maintain a social life.

Anthony E. Guillaumier, Chairman Richmond Foundation commended GasanMamo Insurance’s kind gesture, dedication and team work. He said, “I feel very privileged for the work that they carried out during the CSR day. The gesture has brought many benefits including the improvement of life of a group of men who have carried not only the burden of serious mental illness but also having spent the best time of their life in a psychiatric hospital, and at the same time sending a positive message and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health problems.”

Richmond Foundation, founded on 13th May 1993 is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation which provides community services for persons with mental health difficulties and in the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental illness amongst the public. It strives to combat stigma and increase awareness on the subject through the local media. The Foundation actively participates in regional and international events where it has the opportunity to increase its knowledge, expand its network, shares its views and heightens its profile and reputation.