Submitted by Kimberley Health Care Auxiliary

This year (2023) marks our 70th year as an organization that has contributed over $2,124,350 to health care and continues to do so with a membership that is 140 strong, has big shoes to fill, and much work to do! But, we are known to rise to the occasion!

Throughout our history, we contributed in excess of 100,000 hours of volunteer service, 0ver $2,000,000 in medical equipment, $57,000 in scholarships, and $40,000 on community wellness.

Our building is paid for and we are saving for improvements to equip the Kimberley Thrift Store plant with a dumbwaiter and improvements in the receiving bay and sorting area. Best of all, we are well on our way in the campaign to contribute funds for the new radiation therapy capacity at the EKRH.

Our story began March 5, 1953, when a group of 50+ women organized the “Women’s Auxiliary to the Hospital Board” to serve Kimberley and district in support of medical care.

From the beginning, this dynamic group of women has raised money. Starting with teas and folk shows, their effort was further invested in sewing, knitting, and mending for the hospital and included the set-up of a small library for the patients.

When the new Kimberley Hospital (pictured above) opened on December 10, 1960, the Auxiliary went into high gear doing everything possible to promote patient comfort and services. In addition, through great effort, these dynamos raised thousands upon thousands of dollars toward the purchase of equipment for the hospital.

To accomplish all the tasks listed above, every year new members were recruited and encouraged to pay the $1.00 membership even if they couldn’t contribute in other ways.  For many years the Kimberley Hospital Auxiliary had the largest membership in B.C., and sometimes in Canada, and by 1960 the Auxiliary boasted 1055 members.

Their contributions included:

• Sewing all new bedding, because it was cheaper than buying it;
• sewing supplementary linens for the O.R. two full days a week;
• furnishing and maintaining a case room and nursery;
• making puppets to give to children in the hospital;
• freshening up flower arrangements three times a week for patients;
• providing “Visitors Information Service” two times daily;
• setting up and maintaining an aquarium in the lobby;
• providing patients with new prints to brighten up their rooms;
• indexing the Medical Library;
• cataloguing Hospital Form;
• establishing and collecting for a Memorial Fund;
• doing a regular linen count; and
• taking a “Comfort Cart” around to patients twice daily!

When comfort carts were originally established, each included such things as mints, chocolate bars, gum, cigarettes, notepaper, envelopes, stamps, cards, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

By 1965 the auxiliary was sponsoring and training Candy Stripers who took on the responsibility for bringing the comfort cart around.

The Women’s Auxiliary also worked on several annual events including:

• helping to host the annual “Hospital Day” which meant baking, setting up, serving, and cleaning up;
• sponsoring the New Year’s Baby by giving each a silver baby spoon plus organizing gifts from local businesses;
• having a Christmas Day Tea;
• making favours for the patients’ food trays on various special days like Easter, Halloween, Christmas etc.;
• canvassing the whole community for their membership drive; and
• taking part in fire drills.

In addition to all these activities, some members regularly prepared and submitted articles along with photos to the Kimberley Bulletin and kept the community informed of what they were doing.

Some women worked as historians keeping records and scrapbooks of all activities.

For 70 years the Auxiliary has been a consistent contributor in the buying of equipment for the hospital. Occasionally, when equipment would break down, volunteers would even pick up the laundry and take it to the local coin wash where they would wash, dry, fold and deliver it back to the hospital!

These women did all they could to provide patient comfort plus raise money for the hospital with teas, bake sales, and raffles.

To be continued…

Images submitted

Article Share