Generosity for rural families in their hour of need
Local
The Catholic Women’s League South Australia (CWL SA) recently made a ‘significant’ donation to a little known but hugely important accommodation charity. Annie’s story shows why Cottages 4 Country Care truly matters.
The stress of a medical emergency when you live in regional South Australia is unimaginable, especially when it involves your unborn baby.
Expectant mum Annie Hood was just 25-weeks into what should be the happiest chapter of her young life when a significant bleed caused her to be rushed from Bordertown to Adelaide on an emergency Royal Flying Doctor Service flight.
“Your stress levels are through the roof when an emergency like this happens,” says Annie’s mother Kate Hood.”
Annie is 27-years-old and she and her partner Sam Lewin are expecting their first baby, which is very exciting for me to be a grandma.
“When she had the bleed and flew into Adelaide Airport, her midwife opened the door of the plane and they took her straight through to Flinders Medical Centre, where she spent a week.
Annie Hood with her mother Kate Hood.
“Bub decided to stay put, which is really good but at 25 weeks, Annie is now a high-risk pregnancy and is not allowed to return to home. It’s safer to be in Adelaide.”
The unexpected city stay is expected to last until August and at $300 a night for a hotel, the young family found themselves in an essential but expensive predicament. Annie is unable to return home and continue her role at her local childcare centre, while Sam has to return to Bordertown to work.
“We’re alternating between him and I being here in Adelaide so someone is with Annie 24/7 and the baby will still need care until the due date of August 3,” Kate says, tears filling her eyes. “That’s what we’re trying to get our head around.”
In what seemed like a miraculous moment, the offer of accommodation in a cottage on the city fringe provided the space and comfort they needed.
Cottages 4 Country Care is a volunteer-run charity providing affordable accommodation in Adelaide for country families who are required to travel long distances for urgent medical treatment, specialist appointments, surgeries and ongoing care.
The accommodation allows families to avoid an average 350-kilometre round-trip drive per booking, saving time, fuel and stress.
“The social worker at the hospital told us about it,” Annie says. “I think they see most people that fly in from country areas and we’ve got no family here or a house or anything in Adelaide so when we found out we’d need to be here for three months, it was a shock. The social worker said the Cottages 4 Country Care accommodation is usually booked out but it was worth a try.”
CWL members Denise McCabe, Sue Sheldrick and Sue Williams with Cottages 4 Country Care’s Dianne Farrell (in the red shirt).
Fortunately, the timing worked in The Hood family’s favour. A kidney transplant patient recently returned home, and they were able to move in to see out the pregnancy.
“When we found out we had this place, I cried,” Kate says. “As a country person, to have a house with a comfy bed, good water pressure, and where you can cook your own meals is incredible. When we get home, I’m going to raise money for it and do what I can because it’s just an awesome charity. It’s simple as that.”
The members of the CWL SA agree. When they presented a significant one-off donation to ‘Cottages 4 Country Care’ last month, it was an act of generosity that will positively impact regional families state-wide.
In 2025, Cottages 4 Country Care provided more than 3,400 nights of accommodation, in doing so supporting people with diverse conditions, including cancer, dialysis, transplant patients, and high-risk pregnancies.
The ’home away from home’ accommodation for rural, regional, and remote patients and their families includes six cosy cottages in Wayville and Unley, each free Wi‑Fi and equipped kitchens. The cottages are named Rose, Mary, Jane, Dudley, Harry and Clarrie.
When the quaint abodes are full, hotel rooms are arranged at partner venues across Adelaide, securing reduced corporate rates and handling bookings so families can focus on care. Empathy is an important part of the offering.
“Many families arrive exhausted, emotionally overwhelmed and financially stretched after leaving their homes, farms, communities and support networks behind in order to access essential medical services for themselves or loved ones,” says Cottages 4 Country Care founder Dianne Farrell.
“Our cottages are generally now more than 95 per cent booked out throughout the year, which is just over 2000 nights a year. Corporate deals with hotels meant 1800 nights in hotels for people last year”.
As a former “country girl” from New South Wales, Dianne understands the challenges of living remotely. “Cottages 4 Country Care started 18 years ago and it’s a joy and a pleasure every day,” she says.
The charity is entirely volunteer-run and funded through donations, fundraising, and grants, with 100 per cent of donations directly funding guest accommodation. In a heartfelt letter to the CWL SA, Dianne expressed her gratitude.
“Your support is far more than a financial contribution … it is a profound act of compassion, dignity, faith and care for rural and regional families facing some of the most difficult periods of their lives,” she wrote.
“As we reflected on the mission and values of the CWL SA, we were deeply moved by your commitment to ‘building a culture of life’, promoting the dignity of every human person, and carrying out charitable and social works with courage, love and faith. These values resonate profoundly with the work we strive to do every day.
“For a volunteer-run charity with limited resources and no ongoing government operational funding, support such as the CWL SA (contribution) is invaluable. Importantly, your donation represents the first ever significant donation received in our 18 years of operation.”
The charity is working closely with a Governor’s Leadership Foundation Community Action Project team to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for its future and build a sustainable ‘forever charity’ to support rural and regional families for generations to come.
As Annie and her family settle in to gently wait for the arrival of their daughter, the relief is palpable.
“We can’t thank you all enough,” Annie says as she rubs her belly fondly. “We are just so incredibly grateful.”
