The Shuswap Lake Health Care Auxiliary needs a dose of volunteer support or the 113-year-old organization will be forced to dissolve.

Auxiliary member Edie Swanson explained that due to declining membership, the positions of president and treasurer are currently vacant and desperately need to be filled because, 鈥渨ithout a complete executive, we can not continue as a society.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to get volunteers,鈥� she added. 鈥淓veryone says they work and have families, but we did too.鈥�

Swanson described the group as 鈥渢he ladies wearing red jackets鈥� who assist patients and visitors at Shuswap Lake General Hospital and long-term care facility Bastion Place.

Volunteers must be 19 and older, be vaccinated for COVID and provide a criminal record check, and be able to attend meetings the second and third Tuesdays of the month, except from June to August.

They also assist in the imaging, CT and ultrasound departments, staff the five days a week from 1-3 p.m. and help at fundraisers throughout the year. Swanson did add, however, that 鈥渧olunteer commitment depends on you鈥� regarding the time people are able to give.

The auxiliary also helps behind the scenes, with their fundraisers having allowed them to donate numerous pieces of equipment and comfort items for local facilities, including a fetal monitor, baby scales, physio equipment, chemo chairs, an echo transducer and much more. They also sponsor the Youth Health Care Volunteers, and provide up to three scholarships for graduates pursuing a career in health care and have provided support for JoeAnna鈥檚 House and BC Children鈥檚 Hospital.

鈥淲e help out where we can,鈥� Swanson said.

Anyone interested in joining the auxiliary, make new friends and learn new skills can contact Swanson at ediejack@telus.net, with more information available online at www.bchealthcareaux.org.

Membership dues are $10 a year.