The Value of Volunteers – Priceless!

There is a contingent of workers at our hospitals who put in countless hours and don’t take home a cent for their time. You can find them supporting patient care in nearly every area of our hospitals, easily recognized by their green smocks and big smiles. They are also very active in our communities working to raise funds for much-needed equipment that the government does not fund, and offer educational scholarship programs to both local students and hospital staff.

Have you ever thought about becoming a hospital volunteer? Volunteering is about giving back. It means working with others to make a meaningful contribution to a better community. At Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, we are so fortunate to have the Auxiliary to South Muskoka Memorial Hospital and the Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary as part our hospital team. These people work tirelessly to give their time to assist patients, staff and visitors. They operate our gift shops, they porter patients around the buildings, they help with wayfinding, and they promote awareness in the community.

As a hospital administrator, every time I hear about the work our volunteers are doing and the dollars they are fundraising, I am humbled by their generosity, commitment and contagious enthusiasm. Each of our volunteers has a story to tell, each of them comes from a different background with different life experiences, but yet they all have one thing in common – and that is their willingness to give of their time in support of our hospitals. Together, last year our two Auxiliaries invested nearly 44,000 hours! It is with thanks for this vital support that we are able to make your patient experience the best it can be and be able to make continued investments in the hospitals that improve patient care.

The value of volunteering is something money can never measure and the contributions made by our Auxiliary members to safe, high-quality care are simply priceless. On behalf of all the people that come through our doors, I sincerely thank each and every hospital auxiliary volunteer for their dedication and hard work to support local hospital care.

I hope you too will be inspired to support your hospitals by becoming a volunteer. Our Auxiliaries are always looking for new members and you can find out more about how you can our website at: https://www.mahc.ca/en/donate-volunteer/Donate.aspx.