Father Law Home faces funding crisis

Thirty elderly residents at Father Law Home in Lami are facing an uncertain future, with the Home having only about two months of funding left to keep its doors open.

Father Law Home is an aged-care facility for men and women who have nowhere else to live and is primarily funded through donations from individuals and community groups.

The Home needs about $25,000 a month to provide care and support for its 30 residents and meet essential running costs.

It is currently short of cashflow and needs financial donations to pay carers’ salaries, bills, and buy food and hygiene products for residents, along with meeting other operating expenses.

Its annual expenses are more than $250,000, while Government assistance has been around $25,000 to $30,000 a year in recent years.

Father Law Home manager Joeli Moceivale said its bank balance was running low, prompting the board to launch a public fundraising appeal.

“What the Government gives us is not more. To run a home it takes about, $250,000 a year,” he said.

Mr Moceivale clarified that the Home received about $25,000 from Government last year, while it received $30,000 in each of the two previous years.

He said the Home had 12 full-time staff, with wages among its major expenses, along with fuel for transportation and other utilities.

Asked what would happen to the residents if the funds ran out, Mr Moceivale said: “We really don’t know.”

“Our utility will get disconnected and we will have to find somehow and somewhere for this,” he said.

Father Law Home comes under the Catholic Church of Fiji, with the Archdiocese appointing a board to oversee its operations.

Archbishop Peter Loy Chong said he was not aware of the public fundraising appeal when approached yesterday.

“Let me get to the bottom of the issue,” he said.

However, Mr Moceivale disputed claims that the Home’s audited accounts were not up to date.

“Every year when we request for the grant of the $30,000, we always submit our audited account,” he said.

The Home is appealing to members of the public for financial assistance, while some business houses have donated directly to its bank account.

Anyone wishing to donate can contribute to the Home’s bank account:

Bank: ANZ
Account number: 1319673

Feedback: rariqi.turner@fijisun.com.fj