The Canmore Hospital Ladies Auxiliary is known for lending a helping hand in the community and for the struggling group the saying, “what goes around, comes around” has shone through.
The Canmore Hospital Ladies Auxiliary is known for lending a helping hand in the community and for the struggling group the saying, “what goes around, comes around” has shone through.
The auxiliary officially merged with Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation on April 1 to ensure a long lasting and devoted presence in the community.
The new partnership between the two groups alleviates administration pressure on the auxiliary so it can focus on the personal touch it is known for within the community.
The foundation, established in 2000, is taking over all charitable aspects of the merger, including running administration and finance duties at no cost to the auxiliary.
“It’s an exciting move for both (groups) and hospital staff are quite excited about it as well,” said Soulafa Al-Abbasi, the foundation’s executive director.
Ultimately, the merger is about meeting certain needs at the general hospital, where both groups have dedicated decades in raising and distributing funds for items and equipment.
The auxiliary historically has raised funds on a smaller scale and the foundation has taken a larger philanthropic role in its fundraising.
Al-Abbasi said the two groups are complimentary of each other.
“We serve the same cause, we serve the same hospital; we don’t fund anything else but the Canmore Hospital … There are growing needs at the hospital with the population growth.”
The auxiliary brings a “face” to the merger for a more a secure future. The volunteer group has 24 to 40 members and will maintain independence.
“We were finding it more and more difficult to get people who were prepared to accept the responsibility of being president, secretary and treasurer and, according to our bylaws, we couldn’t operate as an auxiliary without those positions filled,” said Pat Grayling, auxiliary executive committee member and 25-year volunteer, in a release.
The auxiliary will have its own restricted account and will make its own decisions on how to spend its funds. The auxiliary makes two equipment purchases a year and, under the umbrella of the foundation, will continue to do so.
“They’re still doing their thing, and we help them with the thing they’ve been struggling with,” said Al-Abbasi. “Hopefully now with this merger, there is a lot of competition out there; we hope people support their local hospital.”
The auxiliary’s esteemed presence in the community began in 1978 when Canmore was a much smaller town.
In anticipation of the auxiliary’s 40th anniversary next year, the group is aiming to hit a $1 million donation milestone.
“We need a good hospital,” wrote Renate Grob, an auxiliary volunteer of 20 years, in a release. “I raised two children in Canmore and it was always important to me and I was so blessed to have such a great hospital. My goal was to make it a better place for doctors and nurses to work in because if they have a really good place to work, we get really good care.”
Donations to the auxiliary will now be made out to the Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation, with Canmore Hospital Ladies’ Auxiliary (CHLA) written into the memo section of the cheque. If donating online, donors are encouraged to put CHLA in the comment section.
