ANMC celebrates its dedicated volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Month
April 29, 2016Categories: Alaska Native Medical Center
April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and ANMC celebrated by recognizing our robust team of volunteers who work throughout the ANMC hospital. The vision of ANMC’s Volunteer Services is that ANMC Volunteers will be a comforting and resourceful presence to support the highest-quality patient care, and they do just that. Last year, more than 193 volunteers dedicated over 30,000 hours of support to the ANMC hospital in a variety of ways: staffing the ANMC Craft Shop, assisting clinical staff and patients, reading to and crafting with children, holding babies, visiting with patients in need of company, and much more. “ANMC has had a great year of volunteerism! We could not provide the compassionate services, scholarships and support patient programs without them,” said Roberta Miljure, ANMC Volunteer Services Coordinator. “Thank you to all of our volunteers for all you do in supporting our vision that Alaska Native people are the healthiest people in the world.” ANTHC hosted a volunteer appreciation luncheon, thanking our volunteers for their hard work and commitment to supporting ANMC and our people. Each volunteer received a special gift bag, and Miljure brought in unexpected choices for the luncheon catering — lunch was provided by Bean’s Café, a local nonprofit organization who feeds Anchorage’s hungry and the homeless populations. Dessert was catered by Anchorage’s Downtown Soup Kitchen’s Feed Me Hope Bakery Program, a three-month course that teaches underprivileged people about baking and food preparation, giving them valuable skills to help them find employment. At the luncheon, special recognition was given to Bobbie Gossweiler, Craft Shop Volunteer; Jessie Camerena, Tobacco Cessation Associate; and Debbie Wilson, Literacy Advocate and Women’s Pastoral Care Ministry Associate, all for five years of service. For more information about ANMC hospital Volunteer Services and volunteer opportunities, contact Roberta Miljure at (907) 729-1120 or rmiljure@anthc.org.