Did you know that the Princeton Hospital Auxiliary was founded in 1910, even before there was a hospital in town. The Hospital Auxiliary is a province wide organization, divided into areas much like our health areas. We form a part of the Okanagan area, the OHA. Our area is the largest fundraising area in B.C. The Princeton Hospital Auxiliary (PHA) is one of the fund-raising groups of this area.
In the past three and a half years, the PHA has donated $157,030.74 to various organizations. Among them is the Princeton General Hospital, Ridgewood Lodge, Penticton Regional Hospital, Princeton Health Centre, Princeton Extrication Society, Princeton Ground Search and Rescue, Vermilion Court, Meals on Wheels and the Save the Hospital Fund—to name the largest recipients.
Where do we make our money? The largest portion comes from the Thrift Shop store on Vermilion Avenue. The generous people of Princeton recycle their usable clothing, bric-a-brac, household items and their time. Auxiliary members work hard sorting and selling the items. We would love to continue to keep up this work, but we have a problem. It is a problem that can be remedied. Many of our wonderful members are aging and unable to continue with the work. We have gotten some new members, which is great, but we would like to have a lot more.
Not just women, men are more than welcome to join and we have plenty of jobs that we would love to have men around for.
We ask for three hours of your time per week. We work Monday to Friday, but are only open to the public Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These are the hours of the Thrift Shop, but other jobs are available. — Are you good with the computer, writing, carpentry, grass cutting or planning new activities? If you have a skill you would like to contribute please give us a call, we can answer any questions you may have. Important to note - being a member of the auxiliary is not all work. We have a lot of fun and enjoy social gatherings throughout the year.
We are looking for help from our young people as well. Teenage girls and boys are welcome to contribute by helping out at the hospital, Ridgewood Lodge or at the Thrift Shop, even if it is just an hour, here and there. People like to interact with the younger people, whether it is time talking or reading with them. Hours spent can be counted towards graduation volunteer hours required but the experience alone, will broaden your horizons. If you have any questions, please give Ruth McLeod a call at 250-295-3971. Join us— meet new friends and be a valuable part of Princeton’s volunteer community.
The Thrift Shop will be kicking off their Christmas Season on Saturday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will have all our Christmas merchandise out and ready for you.