Auxiliary

The Auxiliary of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital - a place for everyone.

With a tradition of service dating from January 1914, the Auxiliary of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital is made up of more than 600 members.

The organization is a vital force rendering service to the community, the Hospital, and its patients. The Auxiliary is always looking for ways to improve the quality of life in our community through educational programs and services.

The success of the Auxiliary´s projects is directly attributed to the hard work and dedication of its committee members. The organization is always looking for new members to share the work and bring energy and new ideas to the committees.

Auxiliary Committees

Fundraisers and Special Events
Each year, the Auxiliary hosts fundraisers or events to benefit Lawrence & Memorial programs such as the Development Fund, the Chaplaincy program, and Community Partnerships program, and community education programs, such as The Well Healed Woman, L&M´s annual women's health conference. This event attracts more than 700 women annually who are interested in emotional, spiritual and psychological issues that affect them today. Our fundraising events have purchased equipment for the Emergency Department and provided financial support to the AIDS work performed by the Infectious Disease Clinic at L&M. Our annual raffle proudly provides support to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at L&M. Raffle proceeds provided the NICU with one of its first newborn incubators.

The Auxiliary also sponsors a Career Day for area high school students held at L&M. Together with the high school´s School to Career Coordinators and L&M´s Human Resources Department, students are able to spend a morning at the hospital visiting different medical units and providing students with the opportunity to meet and speak with hospital staff members about their experiences. Students learn about different educational and training requirements, job opportunities and the benefits of working in a hospital enviornment.

Art Exhibits
The Art Exhibit Committee selects works by community artists for display and sale in the corridors of the Lawarence & Memorial Hospital. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Auxiliary.

Magazine Cart
The Magazine Cart and its volunteers travel to patient rooms and family waiting areas offering magazines to patients to read during their stay.

Coffee Shop
The Auxiliary´s Coffee Shop, located in the Hospital´s main lobby, offers a varied menu and delicious specials. Staffed by employees, it is supported by volunteer cashiers and servers.

Community Relations
This committee helps support a regional car seat program. It also supplies new smoke detectors to all new moms for the protection of their infants at home. The committee also offers tours to area schools and children´s organizations.

Lobby Shop
The Lobby Shop is one of the Auxiliary´s primary businesses. It has grown from a small closet in 1956, to a large attractive shop located in the main lobby of the hospital. Stagged by a small management team and more than 60 dedicated volunteers, the shop encompasses everything from basic necessities to unique gifts, accessories, toys, jewelry and baby items for patients, visitors and employees. All profits fund the Auxiliary´s many community and hospital programs.

Membership
The Auxiliary´s Membership Committee has the challenge of increasing the organization´s membership. The committee plans activities and mailings to increase awareness of the interest in the organization.

Sewing Groups
These two groups wok on various special need projects for the hospital as well as the ever popular Boo-Boo Bunny, a popular soother for the children in the emergency department and our outpatient laboratory. Items made by the Monday group include knitted and crocheted items along with the bunnies. The Thursday group concentrates on burp cloths, wheelchair bags and comfort pillows, as well as special request items for the NICU and Chaplaincy department.

Volunteers

Lawrence & Memorial's volunteer services department is staffed with nearly 400 volunteers who have contributed over 60,000 hours of service to the hospital and the community. The volunteer staff consists of high school teenagers, working professionals, full-time mothers and senior citizens.

Volunteers work anywhere between one and five days a week in various departments at L&M, including:

• The Child Care Center
• Emergency room
• Chaplaincy office
• Outpatient clinics
• Front desk
• Lobby shop
• Mailroom
• Patient transport
• Various nursing floors

Volunteers assist with:

• Clerical work
• Visit and transport patients
• Greet patients and visitors
• Assist with special projects
• Join our sewing groups at L&M that service the hospital's maternity unit