Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2015

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“Remember thatwhenyou
leave this earth, youcan
takewithyounothing that
youhave received—only
what youhavegiven.”
—St. Francis ofAssisi
They’re students; former
pilots and flight attendants; retired
nurses, teachers, Wall Street inves-
tors, and human resource officers.
They’re teenagers, adult men and
women, and treasured elders in
their 90s.
Whoare they?
They’re the more
than 400 people
giving back to
their beloved
communities—
Redding, Red Bluff
andMt. Shasta—as volunteers with
Dignity Health North State’s three
hospitals. Here, two veterans with
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital’s
volunteer Auxiliary talk about this
rewarding work.
It’s awin-win
Pat Miller has volunteered some
1,000 hours with the Auxiliary,
doing everything fromworking
Giving thegift of time
at the front desk to welcoming
day-surgery patients—and from
providing office support to helping
with fundraising.
“Last year, we raised funds to buy
wheelchairs,
books for expect-
ant mothers—
even a $29,000
mobile support
unit to help emer-
gency teams save
lives,” Pat says.
“You can actually
see the difference you make in the
community.”
Auxiliary volunteer Karen Mc-
Farland agrees. “You’re adding
something that wouldn’t be there
otherwise. And our hospital is so
valuable to our community, I’ll do
anything I can to support it.” She
loves interacting with patients,
with the “nicest staff ever,” and
with the other volunteers—a group
she deems compassionate, cohe-
sive, and committed.
In more than 3,800 hours volun-
teering, Karen has been a patient
liaison, worked in the gift shop,
Pat Miller
HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS
200dozen
The number of cookies St. Elizabeth
Community Hospital Auxiliary members
baked in 2014 to sell at their annual
Christmas Cookie Extravaganza.
18,000
The number of passengers Mercy
Medical Center Mt. Shasta Auxiliary
members have transported to the
hospital for appointments.
710
The number of teddy bears the Mercy
Medical Center Redding Guild gifted
Redding kids at the 2014 Teddy
Bear Festival.
and served as Auxiliary Board
President. She also created
,
a website where potential volun-
teers can learn more.
Of course, giving back isn’t the
only good reason to volunteer.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction in
helping others,” Pat says. “But it
can also be a stress relief, a reason
to get up in the morning, and a way
to get to know your community
and make lifelong friends. Besides,
it’s fun. It’s a win-win.”
Karen McFarland
Come join us!
Visit mercy.org to learn more about
volunteer opportunities at the three
Dignity Health North State hospitals.
Or call:
››Mercy Medical Center Redding
530.225.7550
››St. Elizabeth Community Hospital
530.529.8038
››Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta
530.926.7147
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