OhioHealth Berger Hospital Gift Shop Volunteers Continue Legacy of Giving
Tucked inside OhioHealth Berger Hospital’s first floor, to the left of the main entrance, sits a small gift shop.
“If a patient or a hospital visitor needs an item for an unexpected hospital stay or even a last-minute gift, they’ll find it here,” said Lynn Kraus, who has served as the Berger Hospital Gift Shop Volunteers’ administrative chair since 2017. Community members are also welcome to shop, and many do stop in to find a unique card, article of clothing or home décor item, according to Kraus.
But what shoppers may not realize is that the gift shop is 100% managed and operated by a dedicated group of 32 community volunteers for the benefit of the hospital and Pickaway County.
As a nonprofit organization, the Berger Hospital Gift Shop Volunteers’ mission is clear: Every penny raised through the gift shop is reinvested into Berger, enhancing patient care and supporting the hospital’s various departments.
According to Kraus, the gift shop has been a part of Berger for over 60 years.
“Because they interact closely with Berger’s administration and staff as well as our patients, the volunteers have an intimate understanding of the needs of the hospital. They are often among the first to notice a way to improve a hospital visitor’s’ experience,” said Tracy VanHorn, Berger’s volunteer and community outreach coordinator. “And when they do, they raise their hands to help.”
Their most recent contribution to the hospital came in the form of cell phone charging stations for the Emergency Department and surgery waiting area, after volunteers noticed a steady increase of requests from gift shop patrons for various device chargers.
The gift reflects the group’s ongoing commitment to the hospital and follows previous contributions such as a support for Berger staff’s educational pursuits, equipment for the hospital’s imaging department and Infusion Center and a named nursing station on the medical-surgical floor (the culmination of a seven-year period of fundraising by the volunteers).
In addition to direct support for the hospital, the volunteers also award annual scholarships to Pickaway County high school seniors entering medical fields.
Berger president Casey Liddy praised the volunteers for their contributions. “They have invested both their time and proceeds back into Berger Hospital for so many years,” said Liddy. “Our volunteers also share a strong history of giving back not only to Berger but throughout our community. We share a passion to see our community hospital thrive and we are so grateful for that.”
Kraus invites anyone interested in becoming a Berger Hospital gift shop volunteer to stop by the gift shop and leave their contact information.
To learn more, click here.
