FARMINGTON – Franklin Memorial Hospital’s Bass Conference Room was the festive setting for a recognition celebration for the health network’s volunteers. The program included a social time and dinner and entertainment by the Franklin County Fiddlers. All volunteers attending received a special gift in recognition of their volunteer efforts, as well as pins and service bars.
The program was in memory of Cecil Holman, Donald Hart, Ruth Buxton, and Phyllis Adams volunteers who have passed away since the last recognition. Collectively, they gave over 18,000 hours of volunteer service to the program. Charlie Woodcock, FMH director of volunteers, paused for a moment-of-silence in their memory.
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Rebecca Ryder, Franklin Community Health Network president/CEO, welcomed and thanked the group for their quality work and added, “Tonight is all about you. We treasure your contributions and you are vital to the success of this institution.” Ryder mentioned that with 250 volunteers this past year helping out in some 40 hospital departments, as well as affiliated Franklin Community Health
Network organizations like Franklin Health, Evergreen Behavioral Services, and Healthy Community Coalition, the volunteer program is extremely strong for a small rural hospital. “Collectively, our volunteers contributed more than 27,000 hours of service,” she said.
State representatives Tom Saviello and Lance Harvell presented Jan Hannaford with a legislative sentiment in recognition of her 28 years of service to Franklin Memorial Hospital, the last nine years of which she served as director of volunteers. Hannaford retired in February 2009.
Volunteers can be found greeting patients at the escort desk, parking cars, filing forms in medical records, processing orders in shipping and receiving, calling patients to remind them of their appointments, and much more.
Before presenting the awards, Woodcock acknowledged Elaine Wing, who had volunteered the longest (33 years); Albertine Smith who volunteered the most hours overall (7,500); and Patty Kilkenny who volunteered the most hours this year (778).
Special recognition was given to those volunteers who contributed the greatest number of hours overall since joining the program. They included: Trudy Dawson, Margaret Durdin, Roberta French, Eugene Martineau, Alvin McDonald, Doris Munson, Regeanne Paradis, Albertine Smith, Allen Smith, and Elaine Wing.
Woodcock also acknowledged volunteers who are couples. They include: Norm and Linda Blodgett, Bob and Mabel Cox, Skip and Erlane Dyke, Dale and Judy Fairbanks, Bob and Nancy Flick, Mark and Deborah Flight, Richard and Roberta Fogg, Leslie and Betty Gatchell, Dick and Linda Giard, Lewis and Shirley Holbrook, Lyle and Gail Karkos, Ed and Jan Lewis, Alvin and Kitty MacDonald, Eugene and Jeanne Martineau, Nye and Carol Nye, Malcolm and Myrna Orff, David and Catherine Perna, Erland and Jean Rand, Glenn and Jean Stowe, Steve and Judy Townley, and John and Judy Wilbur.
Woodcock welcomes calls from anyone who might be interested in volunteering at Franklin Memorial Hospital. She can be reached at 779-2552.
