The Royal Columbian Hospital Auxiliary is in critical need of volunteers.
Lindy Kirkwood, auxiliary president, said the group is in “dire need” of volunteers for all of its venues – its New to You Thrift Shop in uptown New West, and its gift shop and lottery booth at Royal Columbian Hospital. The auxiliary had just over 100 volunteers before the COVID-19 pandemic, but those numbers have now dwindled down to 63, with some of those folks currently on short-term leaves from volunteering.
“Our New to You Thrift Shop is highly successful but approaching a crisis with a shortage of volunteers,” she said. “Saturday has been running on empty for many months.”
Kirkwood said the thrift shop has been losing volunteers for various reasons, so there’s now a “critical” need for folks to help out at the store. She’s worried the current volunteers could get burnt out if others don’t join the auxiliary.
“We have the biggest hospital in the region in one of the smallest cities,” she said. “Drawing from this population is more difficult.”
The thrift store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed to work cash, accept and sort donations, put items out on the floor, and organize the clothing racks.
“The minimum is four hours one day a week,” Kirkwood said. “If they want to work longer, we are happy to have them work longer.”
Bringing more volunteers on board would help prevent the store from having to reduce its operating hours.
“I feel that it is at risk of reducing hours which is absolutely the last thing I want to do,” Kirkwood said. “Once you go back, it is hard to go forward again.”
The New to You Thrift Shop, located at 706 Sixth Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; volunteers are most needed on Saturdays, but they’re also greatly appreciated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The minimum age for thrift shop volunteers is 17 years/Grade 12.
Of the $200,0000 that the auxiliary donated to Royal Columbian Hospital in its 2023-2024 year, about $150,000 was raised at the New to You Thrift Shop, Kirkwood said.
Volunteers are also needed to work at the auxiliary’s lottery booth and gift shop, which are located in Royal Columbian Hospital’s lobby. The auxiliary’s goal is to have these shops open seven days a week, something it’s been unable to do that because of a shortage of volunteers.
“Right now, our lottery booth is so bad we can’t even be open most of the days of the week,” Kirkwood said.
As part of next year’s opening of the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower at Royal Columbian Hospital, the auxiliary will be merging its gift shop and lottery booth into one location.
“We cannot do that with staffing shortages in both places,” Kirkwood said.
Kirkwood said the volunteer situation at the lottery booth is so bad the auxiliary is worried about its ability to keep that booth open. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to help out at the lottery booth.
The situation isn’t as grim at the gift shop, but the auxiliary wants to start getting prepared for its move into its new location next year.
“We are really excited about the new space,” Kirkwood said. “This is a time when we really need to ramp up having lots of volunteers.”
Along with visitors to the hospital, the gift shop is appreciated by hospital staff – who buy snacks and other items at the store. New products – including clothing, jewelry, and giftware such as candles – have resulted in several sales in recent months.
While the auxiliary’s year-end is March 31, Kirkwood anticipates the auxiliary will raise even more funds for Royal Columbian Hospital than last year’s record-setting total of $200,000. But she stressed that the auxiliary needs more volunteers to make sure it’s able to continue serving the community in the years ahead.
“We started in 1902 – we don’t want to die now,” Kirkwood said. “We just want to keep going.”
According to Kirkwood, the hospital auxiliary got its start in 1902 but ceased operations in 1918 for six or seven years because of the flu pandemic. It’s been operating ever since.
“The people that work here, like it,” she said. “We need enthusiastic and reliable people to come and help us carry on.”
Kirkwood said the auxiliary’s three retail shops are run entirely by volunteers and urgently need more people as soon as possible. She said a “gift of four hours per week” will directly support Royal Columbian Hospital.
Because several steps are required to volunteer for the Royal Columbian Hospital Auxiliary, Kirkwood urges community members to be patient with the application process.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the auxiliary can apply online.
