"The purpose of the Community Hospital Auxiliary is to support and encourage Community Hospital and to render personal service to its patients through ways approved or proposed by the Governing Board of Community Hospital."

The Community Hospital Auxiliary is a volunteer organization with 34 members. Together, these members donate nearly 3,000 hours per year to the hospital through various activities. The Auxiliary has donated more than $60,000 to Community Hospital since 1970 for needs such as the building fund, wheelchairs, patient recliner-chairs, and more.

A former member of the Community Hospital Auxiliary, Veta Mae Ray, once wrote her thoughts down on what a volunteer receives:

"What a volunteer can expect in return for her time is the personal satisfaction, the inner consciousness of a job well done, the chance to prove her ability to learn new skills, and perhaps the most satisfying form of recognition is the day by day appreciation implied or expressed from the patients, personnel of the hospital, and the community."

The help and support provided by the Auxiliary is evident as you enter Community Hospital.  Some of the services they perform are:

• Escorting patients
• Making caps for newborn babies and bags for pediatric patients
• Greeting visitors
• Delivering the patients' mail
• Staffing of the Community Hospital Gift Shop
• Caring for the many plants throughout the hospital
• Assistance with office management such as filing, shredding, and copying papers
• Stuffing and labeling envelopes for mailing
• Baking cookies for the bloodmobile
• Readying patient folders
• Hosting bake sales and "Books Are Fun" book fairs

History

The present day Community Hospital Auxiliary can trace its roots back to a 1950 volunteer organization begun by the American Red Cross called the Gray Ladies. The Gray Ladies volunteered in the hospital known at that time as St. Catherine's.

In 1962, the hospital volunteer services were organized under the American Hospital Association and the transition was made to the Pink Ladies. Their purpose under the guidelines of the American Association of Hospitals is three-fold:

• Public relations activity which will bring greater community interest and understanding to the hospital
• Volunteer services for the hospital. These include services done for the hospital both inside and outside the hospital.
• Fund raising for the hospital through various approved ways.

A new hospital was constructed and began operations July 1, 1974 under the name of Community Hospital. With that move, the Pink Ladies also changed their title and became known, as they are today, as the Community Hospital Auxiliary.

Veta Mae Ray, a former member of the Community Hospital Auxiliary, in 1984 composed an interesting and detailed account of the history of the Community Hospital Auxiliary.  We are very grateful to Mrs. Ray not only for her service to Community Hospital but for this historical record.

To Join:

To join the Community Hospital Auxiliary, email or call the Community Outreach Office at Community Hospital, (308) 344-8550. You will be put in touch with an Auxiliary Officer.

Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month January - June, and September - December. Meetings are held at 3:30 p.m. at the hospital.