Volunteers Donate Nearly $5,000 For Patients Comfort And Care

Augusta, GA – In an e-mail to WJBF News Channel 6, the Doctors Hospital Volunteer Guild tells us they donate more than 20,000 hours of service a year caring for patients, but that’s not all. Recently, the Guild gave $4,900 to Doctors Hospital.

Day-to-day the 100 volunteers of the Guild answer phones, escort patients, distribute meal trays, and take care of visitors in the hospital’s waiting rooms. The volunteers also raise money to benefit patients.

The Guild’s recent donation will buy televisions and DVDs for patients to watch movies while they recover from surgery, personal storage units so that women getting mammograms and other tests will have a place to store their belongings, picturesque ceiling light covers and wall hangings to give patients something pleasant to gaze upon, and audio visual equipment for the Diabetes Center to do community presentations.

“Each year we ask the hospital departments to send us a wish list of items they would like to buy, which are not in their general budgets. We review the lists and fund as much as we can. All of the items we approve are intended to improve the comfort and care of patients and their families,” says Bart Grey, manager of Volunteer Services at Doctors Hospital. “This is just one of the ways the Guild supports the efforts of the hospital,” he adds.

The Guild also pays for coloring books and crayons for children visiting the hospital, Beanie Babies, a flower ministry and two $1,500 scholarships. The Guild raises its money to do these good deeds through hospital’s gift shop, jewelry sales and other fundraisers.

Because Doctors Hospital is undergoing a $55 million expansion, the gift shop had to be moved several times last year, causing a drop in revenue. In spite of this setback the Guild was still able to donate $4,900 to the comfort of patients and their families.

“The slower gift shop sales are a temporary side effect of a much needed construction project. When our new patient tower opens our patients will have more private rooms, more rooms for surgery and better registration and waiting areas. And we will have a new gift shop.” Grey says. “It’s going to be great!”