TWENTY-THREE volunteers from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Cooranbong NSW SES units gave up their Saturday morning to help others in need.
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The volunteers met at Morisset Hospital to load 70 hospital beds and other medical equipment, including IV drip poles, bedside tables and mattresses, into a shipping container.
Second-hand beds were collected from hospitals around the state and taken to Morisset, where the ones in the best condition were picked to be shipped away.
The container is bound for the Philippines, where hospitals have been affected by flooding.
The donated items will replace damaged and outdated equipment.
The day was an initiative of the Rotary Club of Sydney, whose members, most of whom are elderly, were unable to do the heavy lifting.
In the spirit of giving, the three local SES units co-ordinated with the Metford base to make it happen. It took the volunteers more than three hours to load the shipping container.
However, Lake Macquarie City SES controller Daryl Marshall said it was all worth it.
"Whatever we could stuff into [the container], we did," Mr Marshall said.
"We all enjoyed helping out, it was a good feeling."