Things were hopping down at the  St. Andrews Auxiliary Thrift Shop in the Meadow Mall last Friday, April 28!  The Auxiliary celebrated National Volunteer Week with a big "Thank You" to all their volunteers. Longtime volunteers stopped by.  New volunteers signed up. Auxiliary members invited neighbors. There was a buzz of old friends and new.

Some Auxiliary members become LincolnHealth volunteers and serve in the medical facilities across St. Andrews. Other volunteers staff the thrift shop which provides endless bargains to the community and is the main source of auxiliary donations to the medical community. Other volunteers support auxiliary projects and events and take some time to decide what type of volunteering interests them.

The Auxiliary is all volunteer and works year round to raise funds for medical scholarships for all healthcare fields. Sending handmade gifts to patients, supporting medical staff with luncheons, and donating funds for equipment within the LincolnHealth system are all goals. Last year, the Auxiliary donated over $64,000 to LincolnHealth with an additional $20,000 given to cover medical scholarships for local nursing candidates or medical staff seeking extra certification or retraining. Additional awards were made to Boothbay Regional Ambulance Service and New Hope.

If you are seeking more information about St. Andrews Auxiliary Scholarship Programs, please contact Scholarship Chair Linda Redman (207-633-2237 or lindale65@hotmail.com).  If you are interested in volunteering, see our Thrift Shop manager Carole McCarthy at the shop or stop by on Saturday (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) to talk with our Volunteer Chair Toni Lorom.

The rewards of volunteering and being part of something larger than oneself, meeting friends within the work of doing good in the community . . . these are everyday occurrences in the giving routine of St. Andrews Auxiliary. Join us.