St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary has changed its name to the Sunshine Coast Health Care Auxiliary. The group’s mandate will stay the same.
“We still have our same mission and mandate, and that’s to enhance health care on the Sunshine Coast, wherever we can help,” said auxiliary president Vicky Forest.
She said a name change was spurred when the hospital changed its name last month.
The auxiliary board pitched a few new names to its membership, including Sechelt Hospital Auxiliary, but the favourite by far was Sunshine Coast Health Care Auxiliary.
“When the vote came back, it was almost unanimous. I think there were five votes for other names including Sechelt Hospital Auxiliary,” Forest said.
Some in the community were concerned when they heard the new name, including auxiliary volunteer Ev McDonald, who wrote to Coast Reporter worried that money from sales at St. Mary’s Thrift Store would no longer go to the hospital.
Forest assured the majority of all money raised would continue to go to the hospital for equipment purchases as needed, but noted the auxiliary changed their constitution a few years ago to allow for other health care assistance in the community “if we were asked and if it met our mandate.”
She said 90 to 95 per cent of all money raised by the auxiliary goes to fill needs at the hospital each year, while the rest is used for things such as health care bursaries and supporting the Meals on Wheels program on the Coast.
The new Sunshine Coast Health Care Auxiliary name is meant to be more inclusive of the 500-plus members across the Coast who volunteer.
Find out more at www.sunshinecoasthealthcareauxiliary.com.
