Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital is celebrating a milestone: Volunteers have logged more than 1 million hours working at the hospital since the hospital’s construction began in the 1970s. April is National Volunteer Month.
The hospital boasts 600 active volunteers and 1,025 Auxiliary members who work in more than 60 areas of the hospital, including the information desk, inpatient and outpatient units, emergency department, Gingham Tree Resale Shop, Daisy Basket Gift Shop and Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center.
Some began to volunteer even before the hospital opened in 1976. That includes Jane Elsner, a Darien resident and volunteer for the past 37 years.
“Greeting people and helping people out – that’s why I like where I work,” said Elsner, an information desk volunteer.
Other longtime volunteers include Eleanor Tauscher, a 34-year volunteer and Downers Grove resident who works with the public affairs and marketing team, and Donna Wadycki, a 38-year volunteer from Westmont. Wadycki is a retired preschool teacher. Each is featured in a video on the Advocate Health Care YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v780iE_UDH0.
For more information on volunteering at Good Samaritan Hospital, visit https://www.advocatehealth.com/about-us/volunteer-opportunities/ or call 630-275-1181.