Since 2023, after seeing the toll on healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, New Life Baptist Church (NLBC) in Echuca-Moama, has created and delivered thoughtful pamper packs to small groups of these faithful professionals twice a year.
These “care packages for the carers” contain items donated by churches from the Echuca-Moama area, including movie tickets, luxurious hand-care and facial products, chocolates, drink bottles, notebooks and pens. Local cafes have also supported the project by donating vouchers. Each pack also contains a Medical Testament donated by Gideons, a card with a QR code to a site for sharing anonymous prayer requests, and a personalised thank-you card.
On delivery day, the group sets up a display with the packages and prays over them before welcoming in the stunned staff members, explaining that they come from the local churches and that they wanted to thank them for their amazing efforts. NLBC Project Care Team Leader Kerry Schroder said: “The first time we did it, their faces lit up like it was Christmas! We told them that we are people of faith, and why we’re giving them a New Testament – it’s amazing to get the opportunity to do that. Some of the responses have blown us away. One person talked about working in Melbourne during Covid and she said she was in tears when she received our package. Another lady reflected on how hard it was for her as a single mum especially at that time, and she was overcome that the community was saying a personal thank you.”
Kerry said being a nurse gave her inside visibility of health care during the pandemic, prompting deep compassion. NLBC has delivered two rounds per year of the special packs since 2023, each to a different ward or healthcare area, with the latest delivered in April 2025. The plan is to continue “for as long as we can, as the donations we receive allow us to do so”.
The church has an M25 team – a group committed to mission efforts based on Matthew 25:40, which says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This team led the project with things like coordinating donations, spreading the word to other churches, praying and packing and delivering bags.
Kerry said it was encouraging to see the whole church support the initiative. “Everyone is different in how they like to give and bless others. We put the challenge out and some people like to donate a ready-packed bag, others bring in items from their weekly shop, and others donate cash; some help at a ‘bag-packing party’ and others are great at writing cards; others come on the day to hand them out, and others pray.”