The Auxiliary

Stewart Memorial’s thriving volunteer group

The Stewart Memorial Auxiliary is a thriving volunteer group which supports the hospital clinics in a variety of ways. There are nearly 1,300 members and currently one of the largest hospital auxiliary in the state of Iowa. The goal of the auxiliary is to promote and advance the purpose of Stewart Memorial Hospital and Clinics. During the past 60 years, the Stewart Memorial Auxiliary has donated in excess of $1 million to the hospital for the purchase of medical equipment and building projects.

For more information about the Stewart Memorial Auxiliary, contact Mollie Scott at 712-464-4183.

Executive Committee Members

Joyce Schleisman

President

Jean Blum

Treasurer

Kathy Baker

Secretary

Join The Auxiliary

If you’re interested in making a difference and have a passion for helping others, become a member of the Stewart Memorial Auxiliary today – and start making an impact for our patients and visitors.

If you have questions about the Auxiliary or volunteering,
please contact our Auxiliary & Volunteer Coordinator.

Auxiliary History

On May 12, 1959, a group of dedicated volunteers organized to form Stewart Memorial Auxiliary. Mrs. S.M. O’Connor was the first president of the group of 49 members. Dues were set at $1 and remained that amount well into the 1990s.

The organization of the Auxiliary came almost three years before the opening of Stewart Memorial and was a part of the community fund raising effort that made the hospital possible. The first Auxiliary bazaar in 1959 raised $350.

By the end of the first year, membership had grown to about 150 and by the time the hospital opened in the spring of 1962, it had climbed to 271.

But this was only the beginning. Membership reached a high point in the 1980s of more than 2,000 members from Lake City and surrounding communities. The 2008-2009 membership of 742 made us the second largest Auxiliary in the state of Iowa.

The Auxiliary has received numerous statewide honors. Six times it received the “Master Auxiliary” award. It has regularly been among the top two or three leaders statewide in membership. In 1984 it received a “Community Service” award from then Congressman Tom Harkin. Members have served on the state board six times.

Funds are raised in several ways – the annual membership drive, gift shop sales, and several annual fund raising events. Events over the past fifty years have included “Bazaar,” “Christmas Tree Lane” and “Christmas Affair,” “Mardi Gras,” “Fall Frolic,” “Family Bingo,” “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” “Table A Fare,” “Silent Auction,” “Desserts with Style,” “Trivia Night” as well as our on-going “Book Fairs and Bake Sales” and “Uniform Sales.”

While that first bazaar in 1959 raised $350, several of the more current fund raising events net several thousand dollars each year. All of these efforts have enabled the Auxiliary to contribute more than $1 million to SMCH since its beginning. These funds have been used to purchase specific pieces of equipment to enable physicians and nurses to provide better health care for patients.

Just as important as the funds raised are the volunteer services provided. The gift shop, which was the first in the state of Iowa to be planned as an integral part of the hospital building, is operated entirely by volunteers and is open every week day.

In the past, Auxiliary members have delivered mail to patients. In 1973 a Meals-on-Wheels program was started and Auxiliary volunteers continue to operate that program. Currently this program delivers as many as 48 meals at noon to the communities of Lake City and Lohrville. The meals are prepared in the hospital dietary department and delivered by the Auxiliary volunteers.

Many members also devoted their sewing and knitting talents to hospital projects. They make a variety of products, which made life just a little easier and more pleasant for SMCH patients. In the past, “friendly mice and puppets” were provided for young patients as well as caps for newborns.

The Red Cross Bloodmobile has been served by Auxiliary members since 1960, even before the hospital opened. More recently Life Serve Blood Bank has been served by Auxiliary members.

Community Health Education has become an important part of Auxiliary activities. This has included sponsoring such programs as “I Can Cope” classes; “Vials of Life;” Buckle Up Baby;” CPR classes; “Quit Smoking” clinics; Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Cholesterol, and Colo-rectal Screenings, “Link-to-Life;” “Phone First;” “Get the Answers – Medication Awareness;” and the support and promotion of emergency medical services.

Auxiliary members have been a part of every major expansion of the hospital, contributing time and money to fund drives and volunteering that “little extra” caring service that makes SMCH outstanding. In January 1991 the Auxiliary provided a spark that ignited a very successful fund drive for “Project 2000”. Members voted to donate $100,000 to the project over a five-year period. With this major contribution, other groups and individuals answered the challenge and more than $1 million was pledged toward the hospital expansion.

The strong tradition that was started with 49 members fifty years ago continues today. The Auxiliary is alive and well at SMCH! We plan to continue to strongly support the great hospital and clinics we are so blessed to have in our communities.

In The News

Stewart Memorial Auxiliary Makes Second Donation, Fully Funding New Surgical Table at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital

Stewart Memorial Community Hospital is proud to announce a second generous donation of $31,010.04 from the Stewart Memorial Auxiliary, completing the total funding needed for the purchase of a new surgical table for the hospital’s

Jody Windschitl’s Heartfelt Plant Donations to Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Continue to Flourish This National Volunteer Month

In celebration of National Volunteer Month, Stewart Memorial Community Hospital honors the generosity of Jody Windschitl, whose plant donations have not only beautified the hospital’s spaces but also served as

History of the Stewart Memorial Auxiliary

On May 12, 1959, a group of dedicated volunteers organized to form Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Auxiliary. Mrs. S.M. O’Connor was the first president of the group of 49 members.