Prince
Edward Island Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries
IMPACT REPORT 2014
Healthcare auxiliaries across Prince Edward
Island raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for hospitals, manors and
health projects. Auxiliary volunteers
are an important part of the PEI healthcare system and work diligently to improve
the lives of their fellow Islanders.
While those who use healthcare facilities benefit
from their work everyday, the contribution of auxiliary volunteers is sometimes
hidden. Civic leaders and the general
public may not realise what it takes to raise this money and the important work
the volunteers do.
Here is a look at the impact five of those
auxiliaries - the members of the PEI Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries - had
on Prince Edward Island’s healthcare system in 2014.
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In 2014, 321
Auxiliary members and volunteers gave 25,000 hours for fundraising
activities and projects. These people provided items for bake sales, organized
and staffed fundraising events, worked at gift shops and new-to-you shops, and
sold raffle tickets.
As a result of this hard work, these five
groups raised $403,000. They purchased $170,600 in medical
equipment, gave $70,500 to health foundations and provided $5,000 in bursaries to students in health-related fields of study.
But beyond the money raised and donated, these
volunteers contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of value to the
PEI healthcare system through the voluntary work they provide. For example, they may deliver meal on wheels,
serve on committees, and visit residents and patients, just to name a few activities.
Healthcare auxiliaries face the same challenges
as many other local volunteer groups: aging volunteer base, time constraints
faced by younger potential volunteers, and competition with other deserving causes
for charitable dollars. Our groups
remain committed to meeting these challenges and continuing to raise large
amounts of money each year.
We call upon our elected representatives
to consider how governmental departments could further support the many volunteer
groups providing so much benefit to our Island community. Many supports would cost government little or nothing. For instance, health volunteers could be
included in relevant staff training sessions, greatly increasing the value for
money of the cost of engaging outside speakers and trainers.
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About the PEIAHA
The Prince Edward Island Association of
Healthcare Auxiliaries was formed in 1964. It provides education and mutual support to member auxiliaries and their
volunteers.
The PEIAHA’s five member auxiliaries:
- King’s County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Montague
- Prince County Hospital Auxiliary, Summerside
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary, Charlottetown
- Stewart Memorial Healthcare Auxiliary, Tyne Valley
- Western Hospital Auxiliary, Alberton
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