The Hospital Auxiliary at G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel is in need of new members.
Marlene Connell is the President…
“We’re a small group, we need 25 members just to operate our auxiliary programs for one week, and that’s a four hour shift, so we’re struggling with 30 members. There is holidays, there are family emergencies, we are volunteers so family and our health comes first.”
Connell says the Hospital Auxiliary raises money for the hospital to purchase vital equipment…
“The gift shop is one of our major incomes, a lot of it is besides the scenes work, we run a pop machine, we do all of the recycling for the hospital, you don’t see us, maybe once in a while, gathering up cans and cartons. We rent TV’s to the patients, we take a comfort cart around to the patients which they can purchase slippers or candy, just little things to make them better. Tag days are a big one for us, bake sales. We did extremely well with over $1,050 dollars this year.”
Connell says anyone who would like to help out can simply drop by the gift shop and ask for an application…
“There is a police check because we work with patients and vulnerable people. Once that is done the President will give them an orientation, show them the hospital, the layout and all that, and then go over our programs and see where they would like to volunteer, and how much they would like to volunteer. And then they’re trained in that specific area.”