For many years, “Friends of the Hospital” have done special projects and fundraisers to help the hospital in different ways. One member, Jackie Yankey, shared that the Friends have been thinking about all of their healthcare worker friends and the stress they have been under throughout the pandemic. They wanted to come up with a special project to do to share their appreciation for the healthcare workers.
The group spent a day creating beautiful floral arrangements with pumpkins for the workers along with handwritten notes of gratitude to display on a board inside the hospital. This was a joint project along with the board of trustees to acknowledge the hard, and many times overwhelming, work everyone has put in to patients of Weiser Memorial Hospital. Yankey explained that they wanted to bring more positivity into the atmosphere while sharing their appreciation for all that they do.
It is heartwarming to see people putting their lives at risk to help others. Words cannot fully express the care, compassion, and dedication our healthcare workers have for our community. The “Friends of the Hospital” hope that this gesture of gratitude renews their faith in what a wonderful community we live in.
“Friends of the Hospital” do a lot of wonderful things for the hospital. One of the special projects they regularly work on are items for children such as books and coloring kits for kids in the emergency room. They also create kits for children of all ages who have to stay in the hospital, with coloring books, stuffed animals, soft blankets, and other goodies. The group also makes and provides cough pillows that are 14 x 14 inches. Newborns are gifted with handmade hats, booties, blankets, as well as a bowl and spoon all made by the 51 members of the “Friends of the Hospital.”
Twice a year, the group also hosts a pie sale that brings in funding for special projects. Unfortunately, the pie sale fundraiser will NOT be held this November due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Yankey said that they hope to hold one in the spring. “Money raised from the last few was used to purchase new chairs for OB rooms and also 2 for other hospital rooms that have family that spend the night with the patient,” Yankey explained.
Let us all take something from this beautiful gesture of kindness and thank a healthcare worker.
