KDH celebrates dedicated volunteers at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea

APRIL 21, 2015 – In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) honoured and thanked  its 100-plus volunteers with a Volunteer Appreciation Tea at the North Grenville Municipal Centre on April 16.

“This Tea is a very special event in the yearly life of the hospital as it provides us with an opportunity to recognize the contributions that the KDH Auxiliary and all of our volunteers make to the hospital,” said Lana LeClair, Manager of Corporate Affairs and Organizational Development.

Human Resources Lead Michelle Graham (centre) serves longtime volunteer Bev Cecchini and her husband, Rik Cecchini.

“Thank you for sharing your energy, compassion and dedication with our patients and their families,” she added. “With your focus on providing client-centred service, you improve the quality of the patient and visitor experience every day.”

In total, the hospital’s 100-plus volunteers gave more than 10,000 hours of that most precious commodity ­– their time — in 2014.

The Tea celebrated the vital dual role of the KDH Auxiliary, which not only provides volunteers for every area of the hospital, but also raises money to supplement the funding KDH receives from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

During the Tea, KDH Auxiliary President Jane Wolfe presented a cheque for $65,000 to the hospital, represented by Lis Angus, Chair of the Board of Directors. This donation for 2015 is the largest in the Auxiliary’s 56-year history. The funds will be used to purchase essential medical equipment for patient care, including a defibrillator for the Inpatient Medical Unit, an ECG machine for the Emergency Department, and a blanket warmer for Operating Room use.

The Tea also provided the KDH Auxiliary with an opportunity to recognize a number of volunteers for their dedicated service.

Jane Wolfe presented the following volunteers with Certificates of Appreciation for five years of service: Diane Ardron,  Betty Beach, Brenda Fitzpatrick, Vicki Hutton , Sandra Kelly, Elaine MacNaughton, Suzanne Mason, Lois Nichols, Jocelyne North, Lynda Parke,  Belle Severn and Brenda Steacy.

Another group of volunteers were acknowledged for ten years of service: Frank Gallagher, Joan Gallagher, John Graves, Audrey Halsey and Harry Tarr.

In addition, Wolfe commended teen volunteer Emily Maynard for her contributions, including assisting with training of other teens to volunteer in the Interim Long-Term Care unit.

As a special tribute, Wolfe presented flowers to Avalon and Hal Pinhey and to Dorothy Hudson, in gratitude for their role in managing the accounting operation at the Auxiliary’s major annual fundraiser, Hey Day.

Wolfe also challenged each volunteer to try to recruit one person, noting that more volunteers are needed at the Gift Shop and Information Kiosk in the main lobby of the hospital. She thanked all the volunteers for their kindness and compassion, concluding her remarks with a quote from Gene Bedley, a national self-esteem speaker: “Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

Following the presentations, Illusionist Chris Pilsworth amazed and delighted everyone in attendance with his unique brand of magic.

Hey Day is coming up quickly. The annual event, described as a giant yard sale, will take place June 12 and 13 at the North Grenville Curling Club, 200 Reuben Crescent, Kemptville. The Auxiliary would appreciate contributions of good quality, used items;  they can be dropped off at the Curling Club on Wednesday, June 10 from 3 to 7 pm or Thursday, June 11 from 9 am to 8pm. To volunteer at Hey Day, contact this year’s convener, Jolene Stover, at jolene@swti.ca.

For more information about volunteering at KDH, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Stephanie Redmond, at sredmond@kdh.on.ca.

About Kemptville District Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital is Accredited with Exemplary Standing, the highest ranking bestowed by Accreditation Canada. Committed to building healthier communities, we are a model of hospital-led integrated health services within the provincial health system. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for both patient and employee satisfaction. We pride ourselves on being a good partner within the system. Kemptville District Hospital provides primary care management services, acute care hospital services, and advanced orthopaedic care.

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Lead

T: 613-258-6133 extension 223

Email: jread@kdh.on.ca