Thank you, volunteers, for making our day brighter at Carolina East Medical Center!
Carolina East Medical Center had its annual volunteer appreciation luncheon on April 18 with the theme that Volunteers Make Days Brighter for patients and staff. It was a beautiful celebration with a delicious lunch and fun entertainment. Still, the afternoon's highlight was to honor volunteers for the hours they have so unselfishly given to the departments at Carolina East. The Fairfield Harbor auxiliary members were honored numerous times during the announcements of pins being earned for their hours. We had 29 members receive new pins that we proudly wear while volunteering, with many of our members reaching the 2,000-to-6,000-hour markers. But make things even brighter, our very own Lucille Durst earned 16,000 hours of lifetime achievement, which was the most hours anyone currently volunteering with Carolina East has earned over numerous years of service! Lucille is our committee chair for the Baby Blanket project, where the auxiliary gives each newborn baby a blanket and hand-knitted hat during December. Thank you to every member of the Fairfield Harbour Auxiliary for showing such compassion and dedication in your service to the hospital and its patients.
This month the auxiliary members are very busy making surgery pillows, catheter privacy bags, baby blankets, eyeglass cases, fidgets, and stuffed toys for our littlest patients. We want to thank Shaellen Thompson, the manager of Volunteer Services, and her department for donating four big boxes of Poly-Fil, which the auxiliary needs to fill the pillows and stuffed animals. We also want to thank Devin Lennon, who saw our booth at the yard sale and donated yarn to member Mary Lou Infinito. Without support like this, we wouldn't be able to produce as much as we do for patients at Carolina East.
On May 10, several auxiliary members met at the community center to cut out 200 stockings for our upcoming Christmas Stocking Project. The Christmas Stocking Project has been an ongoing mission of love where the auxiliary members sew and decorate stockings, which will then be filled with all kinds of goodies from toiletries to games and puzzles, and then given out on Christmas Eve by Santa and Mrs. Claus to all patients who are in the hospital over Christmas. This is a tremendous undertaking led by Chair Ruth Blackwell, but the hours that go into this project are well worth every minute when you see a patient’s eyes light up with happiness when they receive a stocking handmade with love.
Our Volunteers genuinely do light up everyone’s day!
Lucille Durst was honored with a pin for 16,000 hours of volunteer services.
This was the highest number of cumulative hours for volunteers in 2022!
Auxiliary Secretary, Sue Bischoff, was honored with 8,000 hours of cumulative service.
The FFH Hospital Auxiliary meets on the third Monday of almost every month at the Community Center from 9:30 to 10:30. The auxiliary does not hold meetings during the summer months of July and August. It's a great way to meet new friends and become involved in our community by helping Carolina East Medical Center. Please join us and see what we're all about. Our organization is entirely free of cost, and for membership information, you may contact our Chairperson, Ruth Blackwell, or Darlene Madorma, Membership Chair.