Every year during Volunteer Week, Baptist hospitals take time to thank, honor and recognize these valuable team members. Volunteers give their time and raise thousands of dollars to help Baptist hospitals provide the best patient care possible. Read below to learn more about volunteers’ contributions and how several Baptist hospitals showed their appreciation.
[toggle title=”Baptist Golden Triangle” state=”open”] Baptist Golden Triangle’s emergency medical technicians hosted a brunch for the hospital’s auxiliary to thank them for their donations to the ambulance service. The volunteer group donated $110,000 in 2011-2013 toward the purchase of an ambulance and pledged to pay almost half the cost for a new ambulance last year. The $120,000 donation will help pay for a 2014 Dodge 4500 ambulance equipped with cardiac monitors, autopulse and powerload, as well as medical supplies. The auxiliary raises money for the hospital all year from gift shop sales and special jewelry, book and uniform sales. [/toggle] [toggle title=”Baptist Huntingdon” state=”close”] Baptist Huntingdon recognized its hospital, hospice and chaplain volunteers with an appreciation tea.“We appreciate all of our volunteers and are very grateful to have such a caring team that gives of their time to be of service to others,” says Susan Breeden, Baptist Huntingdon’s administrator and CEO.
The hospital’s volunteers perform many tasks, including working in the hospital gift shop and delivering mail, flowers and magazines to patients. The hospice and chaplain volunteers are available to provide spiritual care to patients and families.
[/toggle] [toggle title=”Baptist Union City” state=”close”] Gospel quartet Renewed serenaded Baptist Union City’s volunteers during the hospital’s appreciation luncheon. In honor of Renewed’s performance and in appreciation of the ministry of Baptist Union City’s volunteers, a donation was made to The Gideons International.Baptist Union City’s gift shop also made a $25,000 donation to the hospital’s auxiliary in honor of volunteer week.
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[toggle title=”Baptist Union County” state=”close”]
To thank them for their contributions to the hospital, Baptist Union County held a luncheon for its volunteer auxiliary members.
Reorganized as the volunteer auxiliary in 1987, the group has contributed more than $200,000 to multiple projects during the past 28 years involving patient equipment, pediatric supplies, medical books, scholarships, and furniture and equipment for Baptist Union County. In addition to their financial contributions, the volunteers also operate the hospital gift shop and information desk, as well as deliver juice, mail and reading materials to the patients.
“The volunteers are an important part of our hospital family, and we commend their dedication and generosity,” said Walter Grace, administrator and CEO of Baptist Union County. “Thanks to their support, we have been able to enhance services to our patients and employees.”
[/toggle] [toggle title=”NEA Baptist Hospital” state=”close”] NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital hosted a catered luncheon in appreciation of the hospital’s auxiliary volunteers. During the event, several volunteers were recognized for their service, and some won door prizes.Auxiliary volunteers greet patients, families and visitors at the hospital entrance; work in the gift shop; deliver newspapers to patient rooms; deliver kiddie bags to children in the hospital; host ICU/surgical waiting rooms for families and visitors; and escort patients, families and visitors to their destinations. They also host a variety of fundraisers such as scrub and jewelry sales, with proceeds benefiting the gift shop, scholarships, kiddie bags, and other hospitality services.
“I love volunteering at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital,” says Ginny Presgrove, an auxiliary volunteer. “I love being a friendly face when patients and their families first walk in. You can sometimes see the relief in patients’ eyes when they realize they have someone to help them through their hospital visit.”
At the beginning of 2014, before the move to the NEA Baptist medical campus, the auxiliary volunteer program had 34 members; since then the group has grown to 43 members, and it is actively recruiting more volunteers.
NEA Baptist officials are committed to offering great care to the people of Northeast Arkansas, and volunteers are a vital part of that mission, contributing in many ways to helping to make patients more comfortable.
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