by Jenny Read, Patient Relations Officer, KDH
During National Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 24-30, Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) celebrates and thanks its many dedicated volunteers: the members of the KDH Auxiliary, the KDH Patient and Family Advisory Committee, the KDH Foundation Board of Directors, KDH Board of Directors, and community physicians who volunteer on various medical committees.
The National Volunteer Week theme for 2022, “Volunteering is Empathy in Action: Volunteers Bring Heart to Canada’s Communities (Volunteer Canada)”, is exemplified by KDH volunteers who, despite COVID restrictions, have found multiple ways to support the Hospital’s patients and staff with their empathy, compassion and dedication.
“Pandemic or not, our volunteers continue to make a difference in the day to day experiences of our patients and their families,” affirmed KDH’s CEO, Frank J. Vassallo.
Examples abound in the efforts of the KDH Auxiliary over the past two years: whether it was sewing ‘ear saver’ headbands for residents in the Interim Long-Term Care Unit, making scrub caps for frontline staff, knitting Comfort Dolls for KDH’s smallest ER patients, assembling Comfort Kits for patients unexpectedly admitted to hospital, tending the hospital gardens, or fundraising, the volunteers’ “empathy in action” is evident.
Linda Carnegie, current President of the KDH Auxiliary, recently presented the Hospital with a cheque from the Auxiliary in the amount of $60,000. Considering the Auxiliary has been hampered by the COVID shutdown of its gift shop and café, as well as the cancellation of its major annual fundraiser, Hey Day (three times), this is an outstanding result!
Linda explained that the sizeable donation was made possible by the generosity of the North Grenville community and the volunteers’ vigorous fundraising efforts, which included an online lottery. Hey Day Co-ordinator, Jolene Stover, said that taking the Hey Day 50/50 draws online was a huge learning opportunity for the Auxiliary.
“We learned we can adapt, pivot, expand our knowledge, come together as a team, challenge ourselves and do whatever it takes to make an event successful for the Auxiliary and ultimately the Hospital,” she said.
This donation from the Auxiliary joins the significant financial contributions of the Auxiliary over the past 63 years, which now total a staggering $1.8 Million. Funds raised by the KDH Auxiliary are used to purchase essential medical equipment for the direct benefit of KDH patients.
KDH is looking forward to welcoming its volunteers back into the Hospital; an announcement about their return will be made soon. As Frank Vassallo commented, “We have missed your smiles and kind words and gestures which create a wonderful impression and starts a patient’s visit in an exemplary way.”
The KDH Auxiliary always welcomes new volunteers, including students. A past student volunteer, soon to graduate from medical school in Cork, Ireland, shared his testimony about his experience, both as a greeter in the KDH ER, and a helper in its Interim Long-Term Care Unit. He said, “I hope the KDH volunteer experience inspires other students to pursue medicine as it inspired me!”
For more information about becoming a volunteer at KDH, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@kdh.on.ca.
During National Volunteer Week, KDH traditionally recognizes its volunteers at an Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea. This year, again, the event will be held virtually, on April 26, 2022.
