Founded in 1924, the Auxiliary has contributed more than $10 million to various care initiatives at LHSC since 1985.
December 5, 2024
Residents of the London region have an opportunity to join an organization that’s helped support health care in our community for more than 100 years. The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) Auxiliary is actively recruiting new members as it continues to celebrate its centennial anniversary.
Founded in 1924, the Auxiliary has contributed more than $10 million to various care initiatives at LHSC since 1985. The group’s roughly 70 dedicated volunteers run the five gift shops at Victoria Hospital and University Hospital. The shops carry products ranging from snacks to clothing to jewelry, providing patients, visitors and Team LHSC members with creature comforts during their time at our hospitals. Volunteers run the stores entirely, doing everything from ordering products, styling chic displays and serving customers.
Proceeds from the shops are donated to groundbreaking research and care initiatives within LHSC with each dollar helping to improve patient experiences.
“The funds raised in the shops affect not just our local community, but also communities across our region,” said Lyn Harrison, President of the LHSC Auxiliary. “LHSC treats patients from a long way away so many people who come to our hospitals benefit from the care the Auxiliary supports.”
Harrison said the organization has a front row seat to medical history, as they witness projects they support come to fruition.
A prime example is the Auxiliary’s recently completed pledge to contribute $2 million to world-renowned pharmacologist Dr. Richard Kim’s Personalized Medicine Program. His work aims to tailor patients’ treatments by analyzing their DNA to determine the right dose of the right medication according to their unique needs.
“The initiatives we’re asked to support are life changing for so many people,” Harrison said. “It just keeps you really wanting to be part of that philanthropy.”
The group’s contributions are so prolific that it was recently named as a member of London Health Sciences Foundation’s prestigious Banting Society, the top tier of its Donor of Distinction Societies. The Banting Society honours donors who have made cumulative contributions of $10 million or more.
The service Auxiliary volunteers provide also goes far beyond selling people items they need. Members offer kindness and connection to patients, their families and Team LHSC members.
“We’re able to lend an ear for someone to speak to, to get their feelings out, whether they're joyous or whether they're struggling,” Harrison said. “Sometimes you're the right person at the right time to offer support.”
As it reflects on its hundredth anniversary, the Auxiliary is also looking to the future. The group is encouraging community members to fill out an application to join its ranks to help carry forward its legacy of vital financial and compassionate service.
Harrison, who’s volunteered with the group since 2010, said volunteering is a great way to give back to the community while building new connections.
“The friendships that have developed between people who didn't know each other until they volunteered with the Auxiliary are wonderful,” Harrison said. “There’s a real camaraderie.”
The benefits of serving your community extend beyond the immediate impact to patients and the hospital, said Harrison, noting it also has a positive impact on the volunteers themselves.
“Looking worldwide, sometimes you get overwhelmed by all the chaos that's happening, the negativity. And so, I look at what's happening in my little circle that's positive. That's what I try to focus on, the good things that we are seeing around us,” Harrison said. “The benefits of volunteering are way more than the effort put into it.”
Those interested in being considered for a role with the Auxiliary can learn about the application process by contacting Volunteer Services at LHSC.