For the last three years there has been a Community Outreach Committee as part of the Board of Directors for AAHV. It has been my pleasure to Chair this Committee. The goals of this Committee was to honor a Volunteer who has gone beyond their job description and applied themselves to various programs in the hospital and in their community. The G.L.A.D. Award(G.iving, L.earning A.nd D.oing) was expecially designed for the purpose to honor this individual by nominations from the hospitals across the state who are members of AAHV. Their volunteer Managers or DVSs sent in their names and then a panel of impartial leaders in the community read the letters sent in with questions answered about the individual and a background of their part of Community Outreach.
This year the recipient was LaVerne Williams of the Copper Queen Medical Center in Bisbee. LaVerne is known as the "huggin mayor"(1989-1996) and the Bisbee Ambassador. She served on the Copper Queen Community Hospital Board and as Auxiliary President. She is the 2009 AAHV Southern Chair. LaVerne was a Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout Leader, Choir member and co-founder of the Bisbee Belles, an organization of Bisbee women who tell stories of Bisbee historical women in music and fashion.
She has been a long time member of the Business and Professional Women, was State President and their Woman of the Year. LaVerne just found out she has again been selected Woman of the Year. Congratulations!!!
There are many more accomplishments this lady has done and one that she is most proud of as of October 14, 2009; she reached her goal of donating 20 gallons of blood to the Red Cross blood bank in Bisbee. LaVerne will tell you she is not planning to slow down anytime soon, born in 1926, and having accomplished so much, she is a much admired, respected and very deserving of the G.L.A.D. Award. Congratulations again, LaVerne.
Each year the Committee searches throughout the state for any program that is reaching across the state to communities with programs for the betterment of individuals who are in need. This research starts the first of the year and the Committee goes through all information available before they make a decision of who to honor with a cash donation.
This year the Committee selected the Arizona Foundation for Women. This organization works to enhance by investing in inovative solutions to our society's most critical needs and social challenges. At this year's Summit on the Status of Women, their priorities were addressing the issues of health care insurance for women,issues of women and poverty, care giving for children and elder care and domestic violence. Through its work, the Foundation strives to create an Arizona where women and children live free from fear and violence in a just society.
Nancy Dean, CEO of the Arizona Foundation for Women,accepted with much gratitude the check form AAHV for $1500.00 to go toward "enhancing the lives of women and children in the state of Arizona.
VOLUNTEERS TO BE PROUD OF!
Shirley Gould, a Tucson Medical Center Auxilian was appointed to the Committee of Volunteers by the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees for a three year term beginning January 2010. She is the first person from Arizona to be asked to serve on this Board.
Shirley has been a volunteer for 19 years and is assigned to Breast Screening, serving as service Chairman for many years. She was President of the TMC Auxiliary in 2002. She helped in the formation of the Southern Region of the Association of Arizona Healthcare Volunteers and was State President in 2008. In 2009 she had the honor of being Co-Chairman of the AHVRP National Conference held in Phoenix.
She recently returned from St. Louis where she was on the planning committee for the 2010 Conference and will be in Washington, D.C. in April for COV and AHA meetings. She is truly honored to be asked to serve on this committee, not only representing TMC, but the state of Arizona.
