Paola Hostel, a joint venture between the Richmond Foundation and Mount Carmel Hospital, has been given an upgrade by Gasan Mamo Insurance employees as part of a CSR initiative.

The hostel provides accommodation and 24-hour support for men with mental health difficulties. Accommodation is an important element in the safety the hostel provides for these men, with special areas where they can rest and spend time with friends.

The employees got busy with the maintenance of the rooms, painting walls in the sitting room, kitchen, office and corridors, moving furniture and adding finishing touches to the rooms.

“We recognise the indispensable service the hostel extends to these men 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,” the company’s general manager Mark Mamo said.

Through assessment and care planning, residents are encouraged to work on abilities and maximise strengths. The hostel provides community-based, long-term accommodation and 24-hour care for 11 men formerly residing at Mount Carmel Hospital.

The foundation’s chairman Anthony Guillaumier praised the kind gesture, saying: “This has brought many benefits, including the improvement of life for 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.”