Work of heart: Meet Irene Parker (and David James, too)

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi

The Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary’s volunteers go above and beyond for others, making people feel comfortable with their hospital experience. One of them, Irene Parker, is indeed extraordinary. Her dedication to the auxiliary was sparked by her own mother’s love for the organization and that rubbed off on Irene in a good way. The bubbly 75-year-old always has a smile on her face and never leaves her sense of humour at home when she’s putting in her time at her favourite place, Branches, better known as the hospital gift shop.

Irene Parker is a social butterfly.

She’s got a way with people and it’s probably just because she genuinely enjoys the experience of meeting new people. She’s also got a great sense of humour and a smile that is reflective of her sunny disposition.

At 75, she says she’d go crazy if she was all cooped up. And it’s those reasons, combined with a desire to want to give a little something back, that’s made Irene one of Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary’s most valuable volunteers. Almost 20 years in and she’s not ready to go anywhere any time soon.

“My mother joined the auxiliary first so that’s how I got into it. She would always talk about how much she loved it and that’s the reason I decided to join. And I’ve been enjoying it ever since. At one time, we were the only mother and daughter involved in the auxiliary.”

Her mother has since passed away but Irene remains a dedicated auxiliary member. She first started out as the recording secretary where she recalls recording the meeting minutes on an electric typewriter and then she got a couple years as president under her belt.

“You learn a lot,” she says. “You get to know people.”

If you’ve visited Huntsville Hospital’s gift shop, you’ve probably seen the lovely Irene Parker behind the counter. She says the auxiliary strives to keep prices relatively low. Also, sales on food items have increased ever since the hospital cafeteria closed.

Flash forward another decade and Irene is the convenor of many things. Most days, she can be found in the hospital gift shop, Branches, which is her favourite place to be as well as the auxiliary’s biggest source of fundraising. Her love for people and dealing with the public makes her the perfect volunteer for that job.

Irene also lends a hand to helping organize the auxiliary’s annual tag day, Christmas luncheon and the always-successful Cookie Delight. (One year, the auxiliary put the Cookie Delight on hold and people got quite upset. The public outcry was enough to make the auxiliary put it back on the list.) This year, Huntsville hosts the annual Autumn House Tour—it rotates between being held in Bracebridge and Huntsville—and that is always a hit among the public.

“Every year we give money from the gift shop to the auxiliary,” says Irene. “Last December we were able to give $30,000 and the year before that it was $25,000. This year we’re hoping for $35,000. It all goes back to patient care. The hospital lets us know what they need and we try to fill those areas. Since the auxiliary started in 1955 it has given the hospital over $1 million. That’s pretty good money.”

Many people don’t know that auxiliary volunteers aren’t just those smiling faces wearing green smocks who greet you upon entering the hospital. Their roles extend throughout the hospital. There are porters who transport patients and there are volunteers who work in day surgery, the surgeons’ clinic and the chemo wing.

While the work of the volunteers never goes unappreciated by the doctors and nurses, Irene has learned how important her fellow volunteers are to her. She lost her husband two years ago and said the love and support she got helped her get through a very difficult time.

The auxiliary was a saving grace for me when my husband died. I can’t sit in the house and dwell on things. I like to get out and be in good company. Working in the hospital has been great. There’s a lot of ladies are in the same position as me, they’re widows. It keeps me going.
Irene Parker

A common misconception out there is that auxiliary members are women. And while it is true that out of the 134 active volunteers 112 are women, there are almost two dozen male volunteers. Twenty-two to be exact. David James is one of them. He happens to be the auxiliary president and and it was because of his positive experience with a certain volunteer while he battled nervousness about undergoing the ‘big C’ (a colonoscopy) that he decided to join.

David James is another friendly auxiliary volunteer. He’s currently the president and has found it extremely rewarding to be able to give back.

He recalls a porter named Jack who helped him feel at ease and made David feel good about being at the hospital.

“It’s one of those feel-good things you can do,” David says of volunteering.

He hasn’t been the president for even a year and he’s already learned it’s a lot of hard work. But that work never goes unnoticed.

People appreciate what you’re doing, including the doctors and nurses. They all realize you’re there on your own time and they thank you for that. A thank you goes a long way.
David James, auxiliary president

David and Irene share a similar philosophy when it comes to being a volunteer for the Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary: it’s worth their while. You can volunteer and put in your time and know you’ve made a difference. Both of them say it’s something they will continue to do for as long as they can. After all, doing good makes you feel good. It’s that simple.

One, big, happy family! Auxiliary members (from left) David James (president), Lorrice Carruthers, Nancy Samuell, Irene Parker, Lorrie Lamb (director of volunteering), Ann Rogers and Isobel Coulter are always happy to help hospital visitors have the best possible experience.

The Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary is gearing up for the annual Autumn House Tour on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a big fundraiser for the auxiliary and a handful of beautiful homes will be featured on the tour, including Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement’s house. Tickets are $30 (includes a luncheon) and are available at the hospital gift shop, The Red Door in Port Sydney or by calling the Algonquin Theatre at 705-789-4975.

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