As Virginia Baptist Hospital celebrates its centennial, we’re also honoring its Auxiliary Volunteers who have enhanced patient care, supported staff and served as goodwill ambassadors to our community for seven decades.
If you look up the word “volunteer” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the definition is quite simple, “a person who undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service.” As we celebrate the centennial of Virginia Baptist Hospital, we wanted to dedicate the month of September to honoring our Auxiliary Volunteers who are so much more than just people who do a service–they are retired teachers, nurses, business owners, military veterans, salesmen, carpenters, homemakers and more. Their knowledge is immeasurable and to listen to their stories is incredible.
In 1956, women representing the churches of Lynchburg met for the purpose of organizing a Women’s Auxiliary for Virginia Baptist Hospital.The auxiliary was affiliated with the American Hospital Association to enable VBH to better serve the patients and assist in interpreting the hospital’s purpose to the community.
At the time, membership to the auxiliary was open to all “church women” in Lynchburg, and they were known as “The Pink Ladies.” The group whose formal title was the Women’s Auxiliary for Virginia Baptist had only women members until 1973 when the first male auxilian was welcomed. Men who were members of the auxiliary came to be known as “Red Coats.”
Another group within the auxiliary were called, “Candy Stripers.” This team consisted of girls between the ages of 15-18 who volunteered during the summer months and assisted in many different areas. In 1995, their iconic pink and white striped uniforms were replaced with a teal polo, and they became known as “Junior Volunteers.”
Uniforms of the VBH Auxiliary have evolved over the years. At its inception, volunteers wore salmon-colored dresses, but today female volunteers wear salmon-colored smocks and male volunteers wear red vests.
In 2006, volunteers donated their uniform dresses to a missions group traveling to Nairobi. After their arrival, the uniforms were given to the girls for use in choir competitions. They went on to win both local and regional competitions and insisted on the uniforms being “their magic”!
A consistent theme among volunteers is their love for serving others and being a part of the VBH Auxiliary. Volunteer Patricia Blount shared, “Volunteering gives me great satisfaction knowing I’m helping where it’s needed most. I worked 20 years for the Department of the Navy where I felt I was contributing to our country. After my retirement, it was important to me to contribute to others in my community. The hospital seemed to be the perfect place to do that.”
The volunteers who run the information desks at the Vassar and Oak Lane entrances are often the first faces you see when you enter the lobby, and when patients leave the hospital, the discharge volunteers are frequently the last interaction they have with a Centra Team Member.
Tanya Thacker, Manager of Auxiliary & Volunteer Services at VBH, explained, “The patients' interactions with the volunteers is the true face of our community and can leave a lasting impression.”
Throughout its history, the auxiliary has provided additional comfort and services to patients throughout the hospital. You can read about some of their services and initiatives below:
- Comfort Carts - In 1971, volunteers assembled personal care kits with a few essential items. Today, volunteers have comfort carts stocked with a variety of items that are pushed to the units.
- Wheelchair Repair - VBH’s wheelchair repair crew work closely with Facilities Management to ensure the fleet of wheelchairs are operational for day-to-day use.
- Gift Shops - The VBH gift shop has grown from a glass display case in the lobby in 1972 to a singular shop on the third floor in the Ford Building in the 198’s. Today, there are two shops totaling over 800 square feet. The auxiliary also sponsors special sales a few times a month. These sales give staff and visitors an opportunity to shop or grab a yummy treat!
- Free Diaper Bags - There is a dedicated team of Volunteers who pack diaper bags weekly to send home with new families.
- Handmade blankets and more - The auxiliary has multiple crafters who lovingly create hats, baby blankets, fidget mats, neck pillows and stuffed animals for the patients at VBH. Additionally, church groups make and donate soft dolls, character hats, lap blankets, quilts and prayer shawls for volunteers to deliver to patients. When patients receive one of these gifts from a volunteer, their reaction is priceless.
- Stockings for December Babies – In 2023, the stocking pattern was revamped, and 220 babies were sent home with a keepsake holiday stocking in the month of December. This was a stark contrast to the 32 that were sent home in 1972!
Every volunteer serves as an extension of Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital by helping to enhance the comfort of patients and their families, assisting the staff and acting as goodwill ambassadors to the community by promoting an understanding of the hospital and its services.
Volunteer Ned Stewart summarized it well when he remarked, “Being a volunteer at VBH is a privilege and a gift. I thank God for the opportunity and strength to do the job.”