SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary Honors Volunteers

SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary honored two of its members at its annual Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Drury Lodge. Pictured from left: Ilena Aslin; Barbara Campbell, who received the Ilena Aslin Service Award; Nancy Bray, who received the Margaret Foster Roberts Spirit Award; and Jeanette Patterson, Auxiliary president.

The SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary honored the contributions of two of its volunteers at the Auxiliary Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau.

Nancy Bray of Cape Girardeau received the Margaret Foster Roberts Spirit Award and Barbara Campbell of Cape Girardeau received the Ilena Aslin Award. Nearly 200 Auxiliary members attended the annual dinner.

Bray was honored for her work as the volunteer coordinator of the Meals on Wheels program. Bray has served as volunteer coordinator since 1994 when she assumed leadership of the charitable effort from her father. Much of her time as volunteer coordinator occurred during her 27-year tenure as marketing director at Southeast Hospital. Since her retirement in 2007, she has continued to serve as Meals on Wheels volunteer coordinator. She coordinates the delivery schedule for the organizations that deliver the meals more than 250 days a year. Those organizations include 23 local churches, the Medical Alliance and the SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary.

Campbell was recognized for her role as chairman of the Gift Shop Committee and her leadership in promoting more efficient management of the Wishing Well Gift Shop inventory. Using retail skills she learned in business, the former Auxiliary president oversaw the first real inventory of the Hospital's gift shop. What took two days the first time, now takes only one long morning. The gift shop continues to be the largest source of revenue for the Auxiliary, which helps fund numerous Hospital projects.

Campbell also served as one of the Auxiliary's baby photographers, a task she handled for seven years. She served as Auxiliary president from 2007 to 2009.

At the dinner, Auxiliary Vice President Judy Brown presented a "check" to SoutheastHEALTH President and CEO Wayne Smith. The "check" represents the $1.1 million worth of volunteer labor provided by Auxiliary members over the past 12 months. Volunteers contributed more than 56,000 hours of service to SoutheastHEALTH, staffing everything from waiting rooms to the gift shop.