The Doctors Hospital of Manteca Auxiliary volunteers are working overtime to recruit new members to their 50-strong group that assists hospital staffers in non-critical duties to ease the workload of the paid employees and add comfort to the sick and injured in the facility.
Auxiliary President Johnette Raggsdale is looking for additional women and men who have a passion for helping those in need within the hospital and who are also willing and passionate about offering a degree of comfort to those of all ages who may be lonely and frightened. The volunteers are known for their willingness to just listen to the patients who wish to have someone to talk to during the day.
Manteca’s PetSmart store delivered 275 plush dogs and monkeys to the Auxiliary this week that will be handed out to children coming into the emergency room and the main hospital during the coming months in an effort to calm them and ease their potential fear of the medical facility.
She explained that while the volunteers’ bylaws ask for too few a number of hours of service each month, not enough to service the hospital with all its needs divided among the present group. Volunteer duties are designed to utilize each volunteer’s skills and talents. At present most are women with only two men working in the hospital.
Raggsdale said she is hoping to find more couples who are willing to work with her and the other volunteers throughout the hospital during the coming year with a passion for community service.
This month has been extremely busy for the volunteers since the front lobby has been turned into the emergency room waiting room due to restoration work on the emergency facility with them having to greet and direct patients at the front entrance.
The volunteers are involved in patient floor service, working the hospitality desk, working the gift shop and OB where they answer telephone calls, admit visitors and make up gift packets and take newborns’ first pictures.
Work on the patient floor includes visiting with patients, delivering their mail and newspapers at their bedsides taking flowers into their rooms after a florist makes a delivery at the lobby counter. The volunteers also deliver specimens to the lab, escort visitors and patients to their destinations, distribute food trays and carry documents from department to department.
Manning the front counter in the lobby, the volunteers greet patients and visitors entering through the main door off of North Street. In the lobby gift shop they offer a selection of plants and gifts as well as cards balloons, cards and even single long-stem red silk rose buds.
The gift shop is the only location in Manteca where customers can buy See’s Candies for Thanksgiving and Christmas giving with a variety to choose from in their purchases. The volunteers and the hospital employees also work together to work health fairs, immunization clinics and other DHM sponsored events.
The net proceeds from the volunteer-run gift shop provides up to $20,000 annually that goes toward medical college scholarship for students in the community. Students applying must be in their second year of college with a medical major to apply.
High school students from 14 to 19 make up the corps of Junior Volunteers at the hospital working a 4 to 8 p.m. shift. Their duties include working the hospital desk in the front lobby to helping deliver meal trays and other assignments. A variety of special meetings, award presentation programs and other recognition events are provided for the students – many of whom are already considering a career in medicine.
The Auxiliary is led by a slate of officers including president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Special committees include the Scholarship Committee, Gift Shop and Membership committees.
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.
