UMH Hosts Annual Banquet for Volunteers

Uvalde Memorial Hospital (UMH) hosted its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on April 11 at Uvalde Country Club. Over 80 volunteers from Uvalde Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary, Uvalde Hospice, and Friends of Uvalde Hospice Thrift Store attended to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments.

UMH auxiliary volunteer Shirley Grigg opened the program with a prayer and hospital human resource officer, Charla Carter, welcomed and thanked all in attendance.

Sherry Martinez, volunteer coordinator, also welcomed everyone and thanked them for their service to the hospital and hospice programs. Martinez commended the volunteers for unselfishly giving their time and encouraged everyone in the room to continue to recruit new volunteers.

Over the last year the hospice volunteers clocked 1,801 hours, thrift store volunteers accumulated 5,930 hours, and the hospital auxiliary totaled 7,950 hours. The cumulative total for the three groups was 15,681 hours, and Carter pointed out those hours are equivalent to 8 full time employees and a $387,000 savings in salaries for UMH.

One member from each group shared their testimony with the crowd. Eddie McKinney, auxiliary president, Wanda Jacobs, Friends of Hospice Thrift Store, and Brittany Batot, hospice volunteer all shared their experiences. Batot shared her moving story of volunteering with her first hospice patient and stated, through tears, even after her patient’s passing she remains close to the family. Batot brought the patient’s daughter as her guest to the banquet.

Carter recognized Shirley Grigg, Glenda Snow, and Linda Hubbard for being the top volunteer for their respective organizations. Grigg had 1,499 hours with the hospital auxiliary; Snow dedicated 1,075 hours to the hospice program, and Linda Hubbard committed 509.5 hours to the thrift store. The individuals were presented with gifts as a thank you for their service.

Venesa Davila, thrift store manager, also thanked all of the volunteers for their commitment. She applauded them for their willingness to provide service without expectation of recognition. Davila recognized top volunteers for the Hospice Thrift Store as: Linda Hubbard with 509.5 hours, Ana Rocha with 501 hours, and Maricela Hernandez with 411.25 hours. Each recipient was presented with a certificate and a bouquet of roses.

To conclude the luncheon, Davila and thrift store board president Tony Grueben presented a check for $20,000 to Uvalde Hospice Foundation. Hospice director, Heidi Mathewson, hospice medical director, Sameta Sosa, M.D., and Joe Navarro, hospice social worker, received the check on behalf of the foundation.

The Uvalde Hospice Foundation was established seven years ago and uses funds donated through memorials, raised at the Friends of Hospice Thrift Store, and given by people in the community, to cover the costs of miscellaneous items needed by patients under hospice care. The foundation helps to pay for things such as utility bills, clothing, household items, and any other expense that would help make the patient more comfortable and give them peace of mind during their illness.