By Doris Gardenhire Special to the Review
The Athens Review
Tyler — To those of you who have considered joining our auxiliary but haven’t done it yet, I wish you could have been at the Feb. 3 meeting. You would have seen all the fun we have, heard the laughter, seen the hugs, and in general left there feeling better than when you got there!
One of the reasons everyone was in such a jovial mood was that we knew our speaker was Perry Edwards, who always entertains as well as inspires us.
This time he compared people to hamburgers, as he had different people build a hamburger. Of course they were all different, just as all humans are, as we all have different ideas about how things should be. But as volunteers, we realize that people coming into the hospital may want their hamburgers different from ours. While medical professionals are focused on their one area—surgeons see their surgery, housekeepers see cleanliness needs — volunteers see the whole burger. While we have one way we like our burgers, we realize that others probably see things differently. What volunteers try to do is give patients, staff, and visitors burgers the way they like them. As he said, we “should celebrate our uniqueness.”
Edwards is chaplain of ETMC Tyler and a popular motivational speaker.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 3, in the Bush Board Room. ETMC provides breakfast at 8:30 a.m., and the meeting begins at 9:15 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend.
Also at the meeting Mr. Wallace explained the new construction and remodeling of the hospital that are coming up. Watch for the formal groundbreaking soon. ETMC Athens will have a new and enlarged Emergency Department and Intensive Care area. Surgery and OB will be expanded, as well as Ambulatory Care, which will be moved upstairs. As Mr. Wallace stated, the building won’t be 23 years old any more. The construction will take approximately two years.
Coming up, on Friday the 12th, just in time for Valentine’s Day, is our chocolate/Valentine sale, in the lobby from 7 a.m. until all is gone. We really appreciate your support — those who come to buy, and those who bake for us even though they aren’t members.
Soon there will be another raffle. Not a quilt this time, but a “Baby Basket.” It will be filled with goodies for a baby, including a hand-made afghan-type blanket. Remember that all monies from our fundraisers go into the nursing scholarship fund.
While you are visiting, check out the newly redesigned gift shop. Karen Bassett has done a wonderful job of adding more merchandise and displaying it in a way to make the most of our small space.
Space is short this time, but next month we will spotlight one of our scholarship students. Besides helping ETMC staff, our main project is to help good students become good nurses for ETMC Athens.
And as always, if you want to become part of this active, fun-filled group, go by the Gift Shop to pick up an Adult or Teen application.
