The President of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary is worried without an influx of new members, they may not be able to offer as much support to the hospital.<\/p>\n
Linda MacKinnon says coming out of the pandemic the auxiliary is looking to bring in people who want to expand on their work.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew ideas, new thoughts, and just some fresh energy to help us keep our group going. We\u2019ve been there for so long that we\u2019d hate to see it fold up. Hopefully that won\u2019t happen,\u201d said MacKinnon. \u201cBut if we don\u2019t get new members we\u2019ll certainly be curtailed as to the things that we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
MacKinnon says there are currently just shy of 20 members, and she would like to see another five or 10 people sign on.The group has already cancelled plans to host the Hospital Hustle this year after the chairperson stepped down.<\/p>\n
The annual event usually raises over $20,000 which the auxiliary uses to buy medical equipment and furniture such as beds, bedside tables and waiting room chairs for Queens General Hospital.<\/p>\n
MacKinnon says it didn\u2019t make sense to host the Hustle when faced with dual issues of not having a dedicated chairperson along with lingering concerns about the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn in-person event that\u2019s large, like it is, we have it at the curling club and it\u2019s wall to wall people. So, we\u2019re not sure that this year is the right time to do that,\u201d said MacKinnon. \u201cCertainly, we\u2019re promoting good health and we don\u2019t want to do anything that would endanger anyone\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n
McKinnon says along with teas and other smaller events, a major source of revenue for the auxiliary is the gift shop they operate inside the hospital.<\/p>\n
Sales from the volunteer run shop bring in another $10,000 each year.<\/p>\n
Those doors have remained closed during the pandemic, but MacKinnon is hopeful as foot traffic increases at the hospital they can reopen.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the auxiliary is exploring new ways to support Queens General Hospital and says any new faces with fresh ideas are welcome.<\/p>\n
To volunteer with the Auxiliary, please contact Bea Delong at 902-354-4676<\/p>\n