November 4, 2009
For Immediate Release
Sacred Heart Hospital’s Volunteer Partners celebrate
70 years of dedicated service to community
Community open house November 10, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Eau Claire, Wis., - The Volunteer Partners of Sacred Heart Hospital – the hospital’s volunteer board – will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the group’s inception at an open house on November 10, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. in Sacred Heart Hospital’s Community Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. Snacks and punch will be served.
“Our Volunteer Services program has been going strong for 70 years at Sacred Heart, and for seven decades has been making generous contributions to the hospital and our community,” said Mary Pengra, Volunteer Services director at Sacred Heart Hospital. “We’re proud of our accomplishments over the years and invite the community to help us celebrate.”
In November 1939, 15 women met to organize, with an original statement of
purpose: “To render service, and work for the hospital as a non-sectarian organization.” This marked the beginning of the hospital’s Volunteer Partners program. Since the organization’s conception, the group has experienced several name changes, including: the Guild, Auxiliary, and, now, Volunteer Partners.
The Volunteer Partners of Sacred Heart Hospital consists of a group of previous and current volunteers who provide support for Sacred Heart Hospital’s community health and social functions, fundraising events and operation of the hospital’s Gift Shop. The Volunteer Partners are governed by a board of elected officers, and members work together to recruit new volunteers. Membership is a mix of active in-hospital volunteers as well as individuals who choose to purchase membership benefits.
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Sacred Heart Hospital is an affiliate of the Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889 it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.