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Auxiliary to Wilson Memorial General Hospital
President’s Report to the Board
What a year the auxiliary had in 2007! We continued to improve our customer relations, we now have 14 sub-committees to ease the load for everyone, we supplied the hospital with equipment, and we continued on our mission to move this auxiliary forward in a very positive manner. It is because of the collected efforts and dedication of everyone involved, that we have become the thriving auxiliary that we are today. I would like to acknowledge the executive and the committee heads – thank-you for your continued support! Many thanks to the entire board and staff of Wilson Memorial General Hospital – everyone is very kind to, and supportive of, our volunteers and our efforts to help the hospital in our little way. Special thanks to Paul Paradis & Jill Pascoe for your encouragement and help throughout the year – to Adam Brown for your accounting expertise, and for your help in examining our books - and to Helen Shaw for your administration help. The hospital has made an effort to include us in education, and in recognizing volunteers during volunteer week, and at Christmas with the wonderful supper & entertainment. These gestures are very much appreciated by all of our volunteers.
We were more active with HAAO in 2007. Laurie Danard and myself attended the Region 12E spring conference in Thunder Bay hosted by the Geraldton auxiliary. Then Gift Shop Treasurer Charlene Schintz traveled to Toronto in November to attend the HAAO fall convention. Dorothy Martel of Thunder Bay finished her term as Region 12E Chair in April, and Dorothy Friske from Geraldton stepped in. Dorothy F. has created a new informative newsletter called “Keeping Connected,” which updates all auxiliaries in our region. She also held the presidents meeting via teleconference in the fall. It was our turn to publish the “Northern Connection Newsletter” in February. With the help of our members, and the information our fellow region members sent in, I put together and sent out our version of the Newsletter for which we received many compliments.
Donations for 2007 totaled $28,046.12. We purchased over-bed and side tables for all the rooms in the hospital, and purchased 6 long lightweight tables that can be used by both the hospital and the auxiliary for functions held in the hospital. We then purchased 2 Staxi wheelchairs, and 8 clocks for the long term care rooms. We purchased water bottles, a blind, and paid to frame a picture for the chemotherapy department, and finished off by donating $10,000.00 towards the purchase of a ventilator. Besides this, we donated gifts to the New Year’s Baby, and purchased Christmas gifts for all the acute and long-term care patients.
We took on two new projects in 2007. It was suggested that we donate toiletry bags to patients who come in with nothing. After discussing this issue, and approaching staff members to facilitate in giving out these bags, we took on the task of purchasing items and putting together emergency toiletry bags. This little bag has been greatly received by those in need, and approximately 90 bags were distributed. The second project was to reinstate our scholarship program. After much discussion, we decided to offer a $1,000.00 scholarship to a student entering a medical field, and it was recommended to have the money paid out at the beginning of the second semester after receiving proof of enrolment. I was honored to present our scholarship to Francois Doiron at the graduation ceremonies in June. Francois is in the Nursing Program in Thunder Bay.
The auxiliary voted to send Charlene Schintz and Pat Witzell down to the buying show in Toronto in January of 2007. This allows us to sell products that are the newest trends, and also enables us to offer products that aren’t already being offered in town. As summer approached, Charlene Schintz applied for and received a grant to hire a student for the summer. This has become a win-win situation, as our Gift Shop volunteers receive a much needed summer vacation, and a student gets to earn some money towards their college education.
Fundraising for the year came in from several sources. The Gift Shop of course, remains our largest source of income. With the broad selection of products that are offered, and our dedicated volunteers to run the shop, more and more people are making The Gift Shop a regular place to stop and shop! I must also acknowledge and thank our many knitters and crafters, who contribute a variety of beautiful hand made items to sell in the shop. Our “rag ladies” raise a large portion of our funds, by picking up bags of material from the Thrift Store, and cutting it into rags to sell to local businesses. Not only does this group raise thousands of dollars for the auxiliary each year, but they also redirect tons of material from our local landfill! Thanks to the Marathon Family Health Team, this group continued to work out of the locum house on Laverendrye. We hosted a spring tea, bake sale, and penny auction in the lobby of the hospital, and it was once again very well received. It was so nice to see all the long term care patients being able to participate in this event. 5th Avenue Jewelry came to town in conjunction with our spring tea, and once again donated a percentage of the profits back to the auxiliary. In October, we put on our fall fair, penny auction and bake sale. We also held the draw for our raffle, which consisted of a painting generously donated by Kat Viva, an afghan donated by life member Daisy Anthony, and a gift basket donated by the auxiliary. The auxiliary also once again had a table at the hand crafters fair. 5th Avenue Jewelry was back in town during that weekend, and donated a percentage of their profits. The auxiliary continues to maintain and fill both the candy machine and the pop machine in the lobby of the hospital. We also stock the bookshelf located outside of The Gift Shop, and this brings in another constant source of income. We round our fundraising up with our membership sales. Sales start at the fall fair and hand crafters fair, and then are sold out of The Gift Shop.
The auxiliary is involved in other ways too. Cards are sent out to auxiliary members and their families to acknowledge different occasions. Our “Helping Hands – An Auxiliary to W.M.G.H. Update” continues to be published in the Marathon Mercury on a monthly basis, to keep the public informed of auxiliary happenings. Publicity for auxiliary events is done by using bulletin boards, T.V., and the Marathon Mercury. Sharon MacKay is the auxiliary representative on the Hospital Board. Sharon is a voting member, and keeps the auxiliary updated of board events on a monthly basis. We still handcraft 32 tray favors for 9 celebrations throughout the year. And finally, the auxiliary executive decided to give out HAAO pins and acknowledge all of our committee heads in November. These individuals go above and beyond, ensuring that this auxiliary continues to be a well-run organization.
Although our fiscal year runs from January 1st, 2007 – December 31st, 2007, here’s a quick highlight of auxiliary happenings to date in 2008:
v The auxiliary voted to send Charlene Schintz & Pat Witzell down to the buying show in January 2008.
v We hosted our spring tea in the lobby of the hospital.
v We were informed that we didn’t receive the funding for our student for the summer of 2008. A special meeting was called, and it was decided to hire a student at minimum wage for 5 hours a day for 9 weeks, to be paid out of the Gift Shop accounts. To cover this cost, we agreed that the buying show in January 2009 would be cancelled. We will discuss sending someone in August of 2009 if money is available.
v The Marathon Family Health Team informed us by letter that we would have to vacate the locum house on Laverendrye before August 1st, 2008. We have been using this house as a location for the cutting and storage of rags and for storing our wool supply. They also informed us that they have no alternate site to use at this time. The auxiliary is currently scrambling trying to find a new location.
v The scholarship committee will be presenting a $1,000.00 scholarship to a deserving Grade 12 graduate at the June graduation ceremonies.
We have accomplished so much for our hospital again this year, and our future is so bright. Having completed my second year as president, I must admit that things did get easier as the year progressed. But only because of the dedicated group that stood beside me – all of us giving of ourselves, and determined to make a difference! I’d like to close with a quote by Jean Anouilh – “Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” Thank you everyone for being an auxiliary volunteer!
Yours in volunteering,
Becky Johnson
