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WHAT WE DO:
The volunteers work in a variety of different areas within the
organization.
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Operate Gift Shops
within the hospital and ECU
the smaller gift shops at Olive Devaud Residence and the Evergreen
Extended Care Unit. We provide gifts, cards, candy bars and
toiletries for the patients and visitors. We also sell hand-knit
baby sweaters, dresses and booties.
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Manage and operate our
own
Economy Shop
sorting, steaming and pricing donated goods - our main money maker.
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Red Cross Loan
Cupboard
which lends out an assortment of equipment to assist people at home
such as wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, bathroom aids and shower
extensions etc. on a 3-month loan basis. It has volunteers to handle
the forms and the handout of equipment.
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Library service to
patients.
A small library cart program in the hospital is maintained where
books and magazines are loaned to patients.
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A volunteer also works on the
 "Paperclip,"
the auxiliary's own newsletter.
The Paper Clip is a
monthly publication to keep the members up to date on the activities
of the auxiliary. For last issue click
here.
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Assist Candy
Stripers/Cadets (all high school students) in helping hospital
patients.
Two auxiliary members work with the candy stripers at the Powell
River General Hospital, providing their training and support,
organizing Christmas parties and showing the auxiliary's
appreciation to the student volunteers.
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Hospital tours for
children
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Escort Duty within the
hospital takes patients to and from x-ray, lab. etc. and delivers
mail throughout the hospital.
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Finger Puppets - each
child requiring needles in the Emergency room are distracted by tiny
finger puppets made by the members. The first Finger Puppets to be
given out by the auxiliary to children at the hospital was Oct. 28,
1985.
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Volunteers also put together emergency room packs for people who are
unexpectedly admitted to the hospital. The packs include items such
a toothbrush and toothpaste, a
comb, tissues and soap.
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Provide cookies to ECU patients.
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Bring the spirit of the holidays to patients by decorating the
public areas of the hospital with trees and garlands.
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Easter Bunny visits
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Santa Claus visits
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Scholarships are given
to students entering some aspect of the medical field.
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Distribute and
maintain bedside TVs.
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Our Fall Bazaar is our
largest event of the year. The sale of baked goods, crafts, raffles
and our white elephant corner makes this our biggest moneymaking
event.
 (Click
on pic to enlarge)
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Recognized
International Nurses Day
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Friend Bear - each
child (under 8) admitted to the hospital receives a hand knitted
bear to comfort them. This bear is taken home with the child.
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Substantial
financial assistance to the hospital. "The 106 Auxiliaries in
British Columbia raised $8,900,000 for the healthcare system during
2001-2002."
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A large group of volunteers spends hours making handcrafts at home,
and meeting every Thursday at the hospital. The volunteers make
knitted bears and finger puppets for the children, as well as baby
clothes. Items are sold in the hospital gift shop and at the annual
bazaar.
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A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT
US...
A little
history...Powell River General Hospital Women's Auxiliary was formed
in Nov. 1945. The gavel we are using today is the original gavel.
Harry Andrews who was in management of the Powell River Company
presented the gavel to the auxiliary. Harry’s wife Kay was the first
president of the auxiliary and left Powell River the following year
due to her husband’s job, transferring him to another area.
In December 1945, a gift
shop, first library cart and services for hospital patients was
started. The first Fall Fair raised $1000 for hospital linens. The
Fall Fair is now called The Bazaar.
1949 Hospital insurance
is established and Auxiliary funds are directed to helping to buy
medical equipment and instruments.
1963 Work starts on a
shop intended to sell donated used items, with proceeds going to
hospital auxiliary
1964 Superfluity Shop
opens on Tuesdays and Fridays in a laundry behind the old hospital
since taken down.
1965 The shop opens
three days a week and changes its name to Economy Shop.
Powell River General
Hospital Women's Auxiliary was changed to the Powell River General
Hospital Auxiliary on Jan. 1, 1967.
1969 A pianist comes to
physiotherapy three times a week to play for patients.
1969-1970 Auxilians are
required to have chest x-rays if in contact with patients.
1972
Economy Shop moves to what is now known as St. John's Ambulance
station. The new hall is rented to groups as a source of income.
In 1988, our first male
member was elected president. Our membership stood at 40
members then. The
auxiliary now boasts a membership exceeding 250 members. Our men are
playing a very important role in all areas. There are now 19 men in
our membership.
1989 Auxiliary opens
another gift shop in the new Evergreen Extended Care Unit (ECU).
1993
Economy Shop moves to Alberni street.
2003 Name changed to
Powell River Health Care Auxiliary.
2004 Auxiliary takes
over the Olive Devaud Residence gift Shop.
Here is how funds raised
by the Powell River Health-Care Auxiliary were spent over the last 20
years.
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1985 $37,00 donated to
the hospital.
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1986 $41,000
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1987 $40,000 (ECG
machine, monitor, stretcher. volumetric pump, mattresses)
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1988 $46,000
(Defibrillator, Critical care system, Life Stat 200 blood pressure
monitor, blood bank refrigerator)
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1989 $44,500 (Infusion
pumps, ventilator, gastro scope)
- 1990 52,080
(Mobile X-Ray unit)
- 1991 $76,760
(Fetal Monitor. incubator, Maxi-Lift, laparoscopic equipment)
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1992 $51,091 (Three
stretchers, pulse oximeter, croup tent, scope washer)
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1993 $49,538 (Camera
for X-ray, obstetrics birthing bed, rocking chair for nursery)
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1994 $103,750
(Laparoscopic lift, blood warmer and monitor)
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1995 $94,500 (Six
hospital beds, two shower trolleys, two feeding pumps, fluid warmer,
fibre optic laryngoscope, colon scope, centrifuge)
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1996 $95,700 (Upgraded
Ohmedia anesthesia machine, blood gas analyzer)
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1997 $200,000
(Electric beds for Evergreen Extended care Unit, module printer,
coagulation unit and centrifuge repairs, defibrillator, extended
care unit gazebo for patients)
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1998 $200,000 (
Mammography unit and processor, greenhouse garden supplies for ECU)
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1999 $206,500 (Cardiac
monitor for ambulance service, First donation toward Information
System that networked our hospital to other hospitals in the region
making the transfer of medical information more efficient, supplies
for palliative care room.
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2000 $227,000
(donation to palliative care nursing and second donation toward
information system)
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2001 $183,836 (Third
donation toward information system.)
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2002 $185,252
(Donations to Heart to Heart program and Powell River Therapeutic
Riding Association)
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2003 $389,854 Vehicle
purchased for St. John's Ambulance, automatic doors from the
hospital to extended care unit, quilts for extended care unit,
conation to meals on Wheels, palliative room in ECU) The new bus
they purchased has enabled us to go for drives, unches and shopping
trips. This allows the residents to maintain s normal a life as
possible—Margaret Wilson, Activity Aide, with Stan Johnson.
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2004 $142,900 (Chair
for infusion room, wheelchair accessible bus, lift system equipment,
dialysis chair for hemodialysis unit, mattresses for acute care in
extended care unit and Olive Devaud Residence)
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August 16, 2005: The
Wheel Chair Accessible Bus arrived in Powell River. The cost of the
bus was $120,000.00 and our auxiliary donated $70,000.00. 
A private donation of a local resident paid the balance. A donation
of $3,000.00 by the residents of the Olive Devaud paid for the air
conditioning within the bus.
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Purchase of a Nicolet
Vascular Doppler and Probe for the Home Care Nursing Staff
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A generous donation
was made to the development of the Healthy Heart Programme. Their
goal is to create ongoing programming that supports citizens of
Powell River as they learn about healthy lifestyles.
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A donation was made to
the Powell River Therapeutic Association
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Framed two pieces of
artwork for the Dialysis Unit
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Made a donation to
upgrade the Medical Imaging Waiting Room and Mammography-screening
area in order to provide patient confidentiality
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Purchased a DVD/VCR/CD
player and coupler for the Dialysis Unit.
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The Food Bank was
supported.
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FEBRUARY 15, 2006:
TEAM EFFORT:
The funding for a portable ultrasound was provided by the Powell River
Hospital Foundation, the Powell River Health-Care Auxiliary, formerly the
Powell River Hospital Auxiliary, and private donors Alice Mowbray and
her daughter Donna Richards.
The ultrasound cost just over $ 60,000.
(Ken Needham,
treasurer of the Powell River Hospital Foundation, Dr. Mann,
emergency room physician at Powell River General Hospital, Rod
Tysdal, immediate past president of the foundation [back row from
left], Marguerite Keizer, treasurer of the Powell River Health
Auxiliary, Alice Mowbray and Donna Richards, private donors, and
Nova Gordon [front row],) |
