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Health System Volunteers Honored for Hours of Service

Orange City Area Health System (OCAHS) recently hosted its annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet to honor volunteers for another year of service in many areas throughout the health system. According to Mary Plathe, Volunteer Services Manager for OCAHS, the volunteer team consists of 195 individuals (43 men and 152 women) from the communities of Archer, Alton, Granville, Hawarden, Hospers, Ireton, Le Mars, Marcus, Maurice, Orange City, Paullina, Sheldon and Sioux Center.
    “Our volunteer team members choose from 64 volunteer opportunities offered by the health system,” Plathe explained. “Of our active volunteers, 129 individuals serve in more than one area, facility, or department.”
    At the banquet, 22 volunteers were honored for giving more than 200 hours of service last year. In 2016, the volunteer team tallied up 16,053 service hours – which is valued at $370,021 in volunteer labor for the health system. That is over 309 hours of volunteer service each week, which equates to nearly 10 full-time workers.
    “Through the past 10 years of our volunteer program,” Plathe continued, “there is a dedicated group of volunteers that have been inducted into the ‘Hero’s Club’ at Orange City Area Health System. These individuals have each given more than 1,000 hours of their time to benefit the patients and families served by our health system.”
     The 30 inaugural members of the Hero’s Club are:
1,000 Hours
Robert Boonstra (1,256)
Pam J. De Haan (1,185)
Marvin De Jong (1,135
Arlene Feekes (1,326)
Tami Guthmiller (1,080)
Sandy Harmelink (1,184)
LaDonna Huisman (1,416)
Priscilla Huizenga (1,333)
Kim Oolman (1,315)
Helen Pas (1,142)
Doris Pottebaum (1,470)
Mary Pottebaum (1,370)
Karen Richter (1,168)
Lori Rowenhorst (1,436)
Lois Russell (1,368)
J.R. Siebersma (1,392)
Star Van Gelder (1,117)
Dorothy Vanden Brink (1,312)
1,500 Hours
Brian De Jong (1,837)
Lorie Foreman (1,897)
Fran Koets (1,807)
Joan Spronk (1,531)
2,000 Hours
Bev De Jager (2,060)
Kathy McKinstrey (2,138)
Lynnette Schuller (2,131)
Eleanor Van Roekel (2,017)
Wanda Wichers (2,401)
2,500 Hours
Wanda Kuiken (2,792)
3,000 Hours
Jen Vogel (3,328)
4,000 Hours
Nan Reinking (4,162)
    Plathe also reported that from 2006-2016, volunteer hours have totaled 157,454 — a value of $3,277,182. The Orange City Area Health System Auxiliary has contributed $1,113,469 to the health system since 1960.