Sheridan Memorial Hospital Auxiliary named Outstanding Volunteer Program of the Year

Sheridan Memorial Hospital was honored to share that The Sheridan Memorial Hospital Auxiliary has been named The Wyoming Hospital Association’s Outstanding Volunteer Program of The Year for 2021. They are one of twenty-seven Auxiliaries and numerous hospital volunteer organizations in the state of Wyoming. 

According to a release, the SMH Auxiliary was founded in 1945 and since then has supported nearly every department and project at the hospital. During 2020, there were no celebrations to recognize the Auxiliary members for their 75th year of support, but they continued to do what they do best: fulfill their mission “to provide comfort to and better the welfare of Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s patients.”

Just before COVID-19 broke out in early 2020, the Auxiliary announced a gift of $37,000 to enhance patient care in several departments including Respiratory Therapy, Urgent Care and Family Waiting Rooms. Although COVID-19 restrictions meant closing down the Auxiliary gift shop, waiting room volunteering and other annual events, the Auxiliary and other hospital volunteers kicked into full support mode. They changed things up with new ideas to continue their mission. Auxiliary members made masks and gowns. Annual events turned from in-person events to fun-filled drive-by celebrations and socially distanced spirit-lifters.

At the end of the summer, their tradition of celebrating all five-year-old birthdays in the community was considered a huge success, with over 150 cars driving by to watch their favorite animated characters (Auxiliary members in full costume) hand out activity bags. In addition, during the holiday season, the Auxiliary helped bring comfort and joy to the community by hosting a socially distanced Trees of Love ceremony, lighting the trees out in front of the hospital.

According to the release, during one of their monthly Zoom meetings in February 2021, the Auxiliary once again stepped up to help the hospital with a pledge of $50,000 for the Transitional Care Expansion Campaign. With this gift, the Auxiliary has given $724,000 to Sheridan Memorial Hospital over the last 20 years.

“I am so proud to have the opportunity to work with this incredibly dedicated group of SMH supporters,” Chief Development Officer Cody Sinclair said. “Our hospital would not be what it is today without their support.”