Hospital honors volunteers
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 17, 2005 8:33 AM
Hospital volunteers could be likened to the best kind of gardeners, planting perennial seeds of kindness that take root and grow.
Donna Archer, director of volunteer services at Wayne Memorial Hospital, says she witnesses daily examples of people giving unselfishly to others and doing things for the right reasons.
"By planting seeds of kindness through a smile, a kind word, it might seem like something that's small to you but it grows every day," she said Friday during the annual volunteers' recognition luncheon.
"Don't underestimate the strength of what you do each and every day. Like a seed when it's planted, we can't always see what's going on under the surface."
She said the number of volunteers seems to grow each year. During 2004, volunteers contributed 30,429 hours of service to the hospital.
Each volunteer received a certificate of appreciation and a pin representing his or her hours of work. Three outstanding volunteers were honored for exemplary service and presented with an engraved clock.
John Dougherty received the special recognition award, given to the new volunteer who made an especially notable contribution of time and effort.
Mrs. Archer said Dougherty had progressively expanded his role at the hospital, giving his time in four different departments. He received nominations from each.
The Rosa Christian Koch Award, presented to a volunteer who exemplifies service excellence, went to Evelyn Crawford. Since 2002, she has contributed more than 355 hours working in the day surgery waiting room.
Her assignment has been appropriate, Mrs. Archer said, since "she has a soothing voice that just immediately calms people."
The volunteer of the year award, presented for giving the most hours of service in an outstanding manner, went to Marlene Colyer.
Serving in the WADEC diabetes center since March, 2000, Mrs. Colyer has logged almost 1,500 hours making calls, filing information, and preparing booklets and information for patients.
"She has jumped at anything we had to offer," Mrs. Archer said. "She fell in love with them and they fell in love with her."
She thanked all who served so faithfully at the hospital, encouraging them to keep on "gardening."
"We need the fruits of what you give us," she said.
Hospital President Bill Paugh also expressed appreciation to the willing workers.
"You wouldn't believe the number of comments I get from patients about the extra special things that you bring to the organization," he said.
The afternoon luncheon was not without its humorous moments. Well-known area entertainer Freddie Pierce treated the crowd to several impressions, including an Elvis song, and involved the crowd in part of his ventriloquist act.
He even enlisted an unwitting "volunteer" of his own when he called Paugh to the stage and convinced him to show "how well you could hoot and holler" like they do each year at Spivey's Corner.