Hospital Volunteers are a Special Group of People

What a wonderful way to start a Thursday! I had the delightful pleasure of “working” in The Glass Gift Box (our magnificent Auxiliary gift shop) this past Thursday as part of my routine of WalkRounds throughout the medical center. My first job was unpacking what seems like hundreds of candles. If you can’t find a scent you like at The Glass Gift Box, then there’s something wrong with your sniffer. I picked out a lovely “merlot” scented candle and can’t wait to light it next time I am enjoying a glass of red wine.

They decided to run a special that day – spend $20.00 and get a $5.00 gift certificate - which seemed to stimulate a lot of activity. The shop was full all morning and it was fun helping the visitors and employees alike find something neat in the shop. Of course, I got the chance to interact with Kerri Olson (our Cracker Jack volunteer coordinator) and Cara Kenkel (our extraordinary gift shop coordinator). Both these ladies are delightful to be around (even though Kerri is a big Cyclone fan) and seem to really enjoy their work.

I also had the opportunity to interact with some of our amazing volunteers! There is nothing quite like a hospital volunteer. If you looked up “salt of the earth” in the proverbial dictionary, there you would find a picture of the GRMC Auxiliary. These folks give so willingly of their time, talents and resources. Since I started working at the Boone County Hospital when I was about 13 or 14, I’ve been around hospital volunteers. I simply can’t think of a finer group of people.

Thursday, Mary Jo Adams was working the register and helping to unpack merchandise. She works most Tuesdays and Thursdays…now that’s dedication! Pretty soon, Nancy Stoner came in. She’s new to town, said she was from Indiana. Imagine that, one of the first things she did was learn how she could help out at the local hospital. Then Bonnie Buntz came in, another one of faithful volunteers. Dot Zylstra stopped by with a delivery and Joe Allwood stopped to ask about his clinic route! I noticed John Martinek out front at the information desk and Jack Templeton was up in the surgery waiting area. Nadine Coots helped out in the cafeteria on Thursday and well, I could go on and on. The GRMC volunteers, along with the other thousands and thousands of people who care about their community hospitals enough to volunteer, I say a heartfelt and hearty THANK YOU! We simply couldn’t do it without you.

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.