JSUMC Volunteer Luncheon

Our regular April chapter meeting was held on the third Thursday of the month, instead of the fourth Thursday as in other months, because of a conflict with an event scheduled for the fourth Thursday in April by the Jersey Shore University Medical Center: the “Twenty Fourth Annual Volunteer and James F. Ackerman Federation Awards Luncheon,” held to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of the hospital volunteers and its fund-raising auxiliary.

Four active members in conference at table 9 (left to right): President-elect Matt Klug, Mike Fornino, Treasurer-elect Neil Paulsen, and Allan Zucker.

Dennis Broschart at the mike, with Shawn Smith holding the last of the door prizes, a basket of New Guinea Impatiens, like the centerpieces we used to take home when the luncheons were held at the Barclay.
Photos by Martin Brilliant

One of the highlights of the event is the drawing for the door prizes contributed by the various departments of the hospital. Attached to each attendee’s place card was a numbered ticket, and Dennis Broschart, JSUMC Volunteer Coordinator and a Past Acting Co-President of the chapter, held a basket of corresponding numbered tickets and announced the numbers as they were drawn.

Handing out the awards for hours of service was another highlight of the event. Each volunteer who has contributed a total of 500 hours gets a pin with a bar hanging from it marked “500 hours,” and a new bar is awarded for each additional multiple of 500 hours. The names of the seventy people who got new pins or bars were printed in the program and called by name (if they were present) to receive their awards. Just a few of the seventy awards went to chapter members: Mike Fornino received his starter pin for 500 hours, and the chapter member with the highest total was Mark Stewart with 4,500 hours. The volunteer with the highest total (not a chapter rmember) got a new bar for 39,500 hours.

This is an annual event, and a pin is given to each attendee at each event. Some of these pins say “thank you&rdquo

Many groups of volunteers were specifically acknowledged, including the ones who drive the Club Cars between the old and the new buildings, Mended Hearts, and a high school student who just graduated college with a nursing degree.

Volunteering is rewarding, and it’s even more rewarding when it’s appreciated.