Top 10 volunteers, from left, are Jan Hannaford, volunteer director; Albertine Smith, Alvin McDonald, Elaine Wing, Lawrence Wilbur, Roberta French, Trudy Dawson, Richard Batt, FCHN president; and Margaret Durdin. Absent were Allan Smith, Doris Munson and Gloria Bickford.

FCHN honors volunteers

FARMINGTON – Franklin Memorial Hospital’s Bass Conference Room was the setting for a recognition celebration for the health network’s volunteers.

The program included a social time and dinner, updates from hospital officials and entertainment by Rick and Valerie Messana. All volunteers attending received a special gift in recognition of their efforts, as well as pins and service bars.

The program was in memory of Elspet Johnson, Norma Lucarelli and Stephen McKenney, three volunteers who died since the last recognition.

Collectively, they gave more than 8,800 hours of volunteer service to the program. Jan Hannaford, FMH director of volunteers, paused for a moment of silence and lit a candle in their memory.

Richard Batt, FCHN president, welcomed and thanked the group for their quality work and added, “The giving of gifts is a special pleasure and what brings us together. We treasure your generosity and you are vital to the success of this institution.”

Hannaford mentioned that with 224 volunteers this past year helping out in some 40 hospital departments, as well as affiliated Franklin Community Health Network organizations like Pine Tree Medical Associates, Evergreen Behavioral Services, Healthy Community Coalition and Franklin Health Access, the volunteer program is strong. “Collectively, our volunteers contributed over 26,000 hours of service,” she said.

Volunteers can be found greeting patients at the escort desk, parking cars, filing forms in medical records, processing orders in shipping and receiving and calling patients to remind them of their appointments.

Before presenting the awards, Hannaford acknowledged Elaine Wing, who had volunteered the longest, 32 years; Albertine Smith, who volunteered the most hours overall, 7,184; and Trudy Dawson, who volunteered the most hours this year, 867.

Special recognition was given to those volunteers who contributed the greatest number of hours overall since joining the program, as well as those who have served the organization for 20 years or more. They included Gloria Bickford, Trudy Dawson, Margaret Durdin, Roberta Fogg, Isabelle Foss, Roberta French, Alvin McDonald, Doris Munson, Albertine Smith, Allen Smith, Lawrence Wilbur and Elaine Wing.

Hannaford also acknowledged volunteers who are couples. They include Ernest and Gloria Bickford, Norm and Linda Blodgett, Skip and Erlane Dyke, Dale and Judy Fairbanks, Bob and Nancy Flick, Mark and Deborah Flight, Richard and Roberta Fogg, Lyle and Gail Karkos, Ed and Jan Lewis, Alvin and Kitty MacDonald, Eugene and Jeanne Martineau, Malcolm and Myrna Orff, David and Catherine Perna, Steve and Judy Townley and John and Judy Wilbur.

Hannaford welcomes calls from anyone who might be interested in volunteering at Franklin Memorial Hospital. She can be reached at 779-2552.