The QBE Foundation supports MedEarth to save lives through local grant program
- QBE employee David Hirsch successfully applied for a QBE Foundation local grant on behalf of MedEarth
- MedEarth recovers usable medical supplies and equipment from hospitals that would otherwise be destined for landfill and sends them to medical facilities and communities in need
- The $25,000 grant is the biggest MedEarth has ever received and will help them store and redistribute vital medical equipment that will save lives around the world.
The QBE Foundation works in partnership with community organisations to make a positive impact in the community. It’s local grants program is an opportunity for QBE to support initiatives outside of its large charity partnerships that are working to address key areas of need in the community - and to engage QBE employees in the process.
"Our local grants program is designed to not only make a difference in the community, but to engage and empower our employees to make a positive impact," says QBE Foundation Co-Chair, Jason Clarke.
"There’s two ways we do this: We have a QBE Employee Choice category, which invites our people to apply for a grant in collaboration with a charity they work with, and we present a final short-list of applications to our people and ask them to vote for the winning grants."
QBE’s Head of Marketing, David Hirsch, applied for a QBE Foundation local grant on behalf of MedEarth, a charity he’d been working with for years. On the employee assessment call, Hirsch told colleagues that when COVID-19 hit East Timor, they had one only ventilator in the whole country. Luckily MedEarth had ventilators available and were able to send the country four additional ventilators.
"The ventilator story resonated strongly with everyone," Clarke says. "Not only was it great to hear David speak so passionately about MedEarth, but the idea behind their work is so simple and effective… making it an easy decision to support.
"As a business, we also place a lot of importance on sustainability and the impact we can have on the environment. Awarding MedEarth a grant is a reflection of our people and what they care about."
How MedEarth saves lives and the planet
MedEarth is an organisation that recovers usable medical supplies and equipment destined for landfill and distributes it to disadvantaged communities around Australia and the world who would otherwise not have access to the "life-changing" medical equipment.
"We live in a very fortunate country and have access to the best healthcare in the world," says MedEarth Co-Founder, Laura Taitz.
"But we also have high expectations," she adds. "So, hospitals are going to want to get the latest brands and latest models. What are we going to do with the items that are perfectly usable and still working?"
Taitz and the team of MedEarth volunteers are the answer to this question. They rescue equipment from hospitals, medical practices and related services – or are given crucial items such as wheelchairs and crutches by the public.
"My family tease me whenever I go into a hospital," says Taitz. "I'm always looking around, wondering when that piece of equipment is due to be replaced, looking for the date. Or asking when they may get rid of the bed. They laugh at me because I’m constantly stocktaking."
The items are then stored in a warehouse until "we find someone who needs them," Taitz said.
"We store the items until we have the right recipient for them, to ensure that every donation will be used to its full potential and won’t end up in landfill once more – for example, checking that machines are sent to locations with adequate electricity, that there are patients who need the service and doctors who are able to confidently use the equipment."
It’s equipment that many of us take for granted.
"In Sri Lanka, we sent furniture such as beds and bedside tables to a cancer palliative care unit," says Taitz. "The people in this unit would have had nowhere to go, they had a lack of care at the end of their life. There was no dignity. So, this equipment is really life-changing."
David Hirsch shows his children why it’s important to give back
For Hirsch, being able to support the community by partnering with a charity like MedEarth means so much – not just for him personally, but for his children as well.
"It’s a really important part of who I am to give back," says Hirsch. "I have two kids, and it’s important for them to see me invest time helping a larger cause. MedEarth was the perfect fit for me. I’m very passionate about both the health of people and the health of the planet – MedEarth brings both together by diverting perfectly usable equipment from landfill and helps to save lives in underprivileged communities overseas and in Australia."
That’s why he was so proud to be able to apply for a QBE Foundation local grant in collaboration with the charity.
"The QBE Foundation local grant is the biggest grant that MedEarth has ever received. It makes such a difference for a small charity – it will have a material impact on people's lives and the planet," says Hirsch. "Every $10 donation enables MedEarth to recover $1000 worth of equipment. A $200 donation saves 70 infants per year. This grant is going to do a lot of good."
Hirsch himself has seen the impact that the charity makes. He takes his children down to the warehouse to help pack containers that are going to be shipped overseas.
"I actually remember the first time David came to our warehouse," says Taitz. "He was shocked at the good condition of the items. He thought he would see beds that are falling apart. He said, ‘these beds are so good they could have been in the hospital yesterday’. And I replied ‘Yes, they were in a hospital yesterday.’"
Doing good with the QBE Foundation
Hirsch "loves" that he gets to expand his support of MedEarth with the QBE Foundation. He’s proud to tell his kids about the work, and they can really connect with the idea of saving the planet and people’s lives.
"It says a lot about the business you work for when your kids think it’s a great place to work and see the impact QBE has on charities like MedEarth. What QBE is doing to support these charities is something to be proud of – and that pride is something I saw from all my colleagues who were involved in the QBE Foundation local grant program. Being able to do good at work is a huge motivator for people. I feel very proud to work for QBE."
For the team at MedEarth, QBE’s support means that they can keep caring for people all around the world. "One of my favourite quotes is from a doctor who runs a charity in Africa," says Taitz. "He says: in our world illness is universal, but access to care is not."
Now, MedEarth can keep ensuring that all people have access to the care they deserve.
"We are so grateful to QBE for selecting us," says Taitz. "This grant really is going to such a good cause. We will make a huge difference around the world and are so appreciative for the support of David, QBE employees and the organisation. Thank you to QBE for helping us."