Hospital Auxiliary

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy New Year to all our wonderful Fairfield Harbour neighbors!  We hope that you all had a blessed holiday season with friends and family this year.  Many of us in the FH Hospital Auxiliary made sure we set enough time aside from all the celebrating to finish up with our major yearend project by stuffing stockings and then delivering the stockings to patients at the hospital on Christmas Eve.  Santa and Mrs. Claus always add a lot of fun with their contribution of helping to deliver them to patients and wishing everyone a healthy recovery.  I have added many pictures of Santa’s visit with patients for you to enjoy.

Volunteer Luncheon

On December 10th, Carolina East had a volunteer luncheon at the Flame’ to celebrate all the many dedicated volunteers at Carolina East Health System.  Shaellen Thompson, the Volunteer Services Manager, was the beautiful hostess of the celebration with many administrators who came to honor those who selflessly volunteer hundreds of hours each year.  Our own FH Hospital Auxiliary volunteers had already contributed 50,136 hours of service through November of 2024!  Mrs. Thompson shared that the money that the hospital saved in 2024 was $1,938,000.00 with volunteers offering to help, and this money saved goes right back into patient services. We are all so proud and yet humble to serve others as we do at Carolina East.

Enjoying a delicious lunch are (L to R) Pat Roark, Lucille Durst, and Jane Haeussler.

Some of our Auxiliary members who make the baby blankets got a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus! They are so lucky!!

(L to R) Barbara Hoekman and Sue Bischoff, who has retired from her post as Auxiliary Secretary.  Sue has been such a wonderful member for our Auxiliary! Shaellen Thompson, Volunteer Services Manager, is standing behind Sue hosting the Volunteer Luncheon.

(L to R) Janell Ringuette and Cindy Scalion catching up with each other during a busy December.

Jenny Nebe listens to the speakers while enjoying her lunch.

(L to R) Clare Ostrosky and Andi Ostar enjoying the festivities and food at the Carolina East Volunteer Luncheon.

Stocking Stuffing

On December 15th several of the auxiliary members got together at the Community Center to help stuff stockings with all kinds of goodies that were donated by many of our very own neighbors.  I have provided pictures below of the many stations we set up to load these hand-sewn stockings full of toiletries, cards, homemade keepsakes, and games for patients who are confined to the hospital over Christmas.

The Stocker Stuffer Elves met at the Community Center on Sunday afternoon, December 15th to stuff 230 stockings, just like Ford workers on an assembly line.  All the stockings were stuffed with care in just over two hours!(L to R) are Betty Lou Krasenics, Rhonda Miller, Ruth Blackwell our Stocking Chairwoman, Sherye Sandall, Diane Meyer, Joyce Boker and Linda Neylan.

(L to R) Ruth Blackwell stuffing tooth brushes and tooth paste into stockings and Rhonda Miller filling stockings with ornaments and fidgets to help patients with anxiety or memory loss calm themselves.

(From top to bottom): New member, Diane Meyer stuffed stockings with puzzle books and pens and pencils. Linda Neylan (not pictured) filled stockings with brand new playing cards and tissue packets. Betty Lou Krasenics filled her stockings with handmade keychains and mug rugs.

Joyce Stoker stuffed stockings with toiletries like shampoo and soap and she also added handknitted wash cloths that were made by our volunteers.

 ITEMS DONATED OR HANDMADE THAT WENT INTO STUFFING THE STOCKINGS:

The Fairfield Harbour Hospital Auxiliary is so thankful to all the volunteers who made items like washcloths, eyeglass cases, mug rugs and coasters, key chains and handmade frames with Christmas pictures, and beautiful angel ornaments with seashell wings.  They are all beautiful! We are also hugely grateful to neighbors who donated items like tooth brushes, with many donated from a local dentist office, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, chap stick, emery boards, wipes, pens and pencils, puzzle books, playing cards, tissue packets, and fidgets.  Thank you to all who used our Amazon Wish List, which Ruth Blackwell set up for easy donation transactions.  Without your donations the Auxiliary wouldn’t be able to do this on the scale that we do.

Finally, we want to extend a heartfelt Thank You to our local Knights of Columbus Council, who continue to support the Auxiliary with this ever- important project for the Hospital and its patients.

Stocking Delivery

On Christmas Eve, Santa and Mrs. Claus walked into the hospital with bells jingling and Santa Ho Ho Ho-ing to all the staff and patients.  We went through all the hallways on every floor wishing dedicated staff a Merry Christmas and wishing every patient a beautiful greeting and well wishes for a quick recovery so they could return home very soon.  The patients loved the surprise of seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus, as they both put huge smiles on the patients’ faces.  The Auxiliary made 230 stockings, which we started working on in mid-May and each patient receives one to enjoy while they convalesce in the hospital.  We know all the patients greatly appreciate their gifts.  

On December 17th, Chairwoman Ruth Blackwell, along with several of her favorite elves delivered 230 (stuffed to the brim) Christmas stockings for patients. (L to R) hospital volunteer, Craig Blackwell, Ruth Blackwell, Diane Meyer, and Shaellen Thompson and Tiffany Caraway from Volunteer Services.

Stockings left at the nurses’ station for patients who are in the ICU.

One of the hospital staff brought her little girl in with her for a few hours.  She was so polite and sweet to all of Santa’s entourage that Santa took a moment to go into his own sack of toys to give her a treat.  The little girl looked up at him with the biggest smile and said, “Thank you, Santa, and Merry Christmas!”  It was one of the highlights of my day and as I am writing this I, too, have the biggest smile on my face. 😊

Santa with Mrs. Claus are on the fourth floor of the hospital and ready to deliver stockings to patients and bring good cheer and well wishes.

Santa and Mrs. Claus have walked hand in hand down hospital hallways for over 50 years bringing so much kindness, joy, cheer and love to patients.  They truly are a blessed couple.  Thank you, Santa!!

Santa and Mrs. Claus stand in front of some of the very full boxes of Christmas stockings made by the FH Hospital Auxiliary for patients who are in the hospital over Christmas.

Once we got to the Women’s Pavillion we were greeted with seven new babies, which Santa was able to hold.  The babies were as new as four hours old to two days old and they were all healthy and adorable!  Not only did the mamas receive a stocking from the Auxiliary, but their babies also received a hand sewn soft baby blanket and warm hand knitted beanie as a gift from us.  Sewers and knitters in the Auxiliary make 150 of these beautiful baby sets for babies who are born in December.  Please enjoy the pictures! 😊

This Christmas Eve was quite busy for the stork with delivering seven babies at Carolina East Medical Center!  Santa’s eyes lit up with excitement and awe as he was able to hold several babies in his arms to cradle them.  The sweet newborns ranged from four hours to two days old, and they were the sweetest cuddle-bums!  Each baby born in December will receive a soft handsewn blanket and warm handknit beanie made by volunteers of the FH Hospital Auxiliary.  We make 150 blanket sets every year.  Thank you volunteers for making these first days of their lives so warm and special!

The FFH Hospital Auxiliary meets on the third Monday of most every month, at the Community Center from 9:30 to 10:30. The auxiliary does not hold meetings during the summer months of July and August.  It’s a great way to meet new friends and become involved in our community in helping Carolina East Medical Center.  Please join us on February 26th at 6:00 pm in the Community Center for a Friendship Gathering with wine, cheese and treats and see what we’re all about.  Our organization is completely free of cost and for membership information you may contact our Chairperson, Holly Woodcock or Pat Geres, Membership Chair.

WE WISH YOU MANY BLESSINGS

AND MUCH JOY IN THE NEW YEAR!