Piedmont Medical Center’s Volunteer Auxiliary is Looking for More Volunteers

 

 

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) Now that the new COVID-19 vaccine has made its way to our community, Piedmont Medical Center’s Volunteer Auxiliary is looking to rebuild a volunteer base.

Due to safety precautions and COVID restrictions, the hospital volunteers couldn’t be as active in the facility or around the community.

The hospitals Volunteer Auxiliary Group plays a big role through more than 20 programs.

Volunteer Coordinator, Susan Malette, says, “Well here at the hospital, the volunteers are supporting the employees, the family members and the patients at Piedmont Medical Center. And, when COVID started on March 17 we went away and put the program on hold for what we thought was going to be two weeks. So, all of that stopped.”

At the beginning of 2020 before the pandemic, Piedmont’s Volunteer Auxiliary had around 130 members and since then that number has dropped down to 20. Now, they’re hoping to build that list back up — looking for a former volunteers, former medical professionals and students, to get involved.

Now, volunteers are in higher demand as hospital leaders have said they’ll need more help because of the COVID vaccines.

“The administration is in the process now, of determining how we’re going to support the community with the vaccinations and the other COVID support aspects,” says Malette.

In 2019 the Auxiliary raised $15,000 for hospital projects and programs. Once COVID hit in 2020, funds raised decreased by more than half. They’ve kept funds coming in through the gift shop — open to employees, visitors and the community. This year they’re hoping to get donations back up to help create a dedicated space for doctors and nurses.

“Somewhere that they can go, if things got really bad and they felt down that they could go out there and sit for a few minutes. A place where no one else would bother them not the public but just a place for them,” says Karen Love, the Volunteer Auxiliary’s President.

“I think our main drive us to get back to being able to be on the patient floors, work in the ER, assistant staff do fun things that help more out here at the hospital,” says Malette.

In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with the volunteer program leaders about what they’re hoping to do in 2021.

For more information on how you can become a part of Piedmont’s Volunteer Auxiliary team, you can contact Volunteer Coordinator, Susan Malette. You can head over to CN2.com’s featured links page to find out more.

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