JRMC Auxiliary Book and Bake Sale Supports Patient-Care Programs at Jamestown Hospital

The JRMC Auxiliary hosted its annual Book & Bake Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Jamestown Regional Medical Center. Shoppers browsed tables of used books, jigsaw puzzles, and homemade baked goods at the 25-bed critical access facility that serves a nine-county area with a population of nearly 55,000.

The sale ran at the hospital on 20th Street SW, with all proceeds directed to patient care. More specifically, the JRMC Foundation uses those funds to support care and humanitarian needs, capital projects, endowments, human capital, innovation and technology, and equipment while providing a healing environment.

The scale of what the Auxiliary has built over decades makes even a modest purchase carry weight. JRMC Foundation Director Lisa Jackson has noted that the group has raised $450,000 in total, supporting infant comfort and safety, cancer care, and the future of the hospital through a named endowment fund. That cumulative giving has translated into concrete hardware: the JRMC Foundation has funded equipment such as the Panda Warmer, used in JRMC's labor and delivery suites, which keeps newborns warm immediately after birth and is equipped with oxygen monitoring and resuscitation assistance.

The JRMC Auxiliary, a group of volunteers, works year-round to support hospital initiatives that improve the patient experience, and events like the Book and Bake Sale allow the Auxiliary to give back in a meaningful way. The Auxiliary's roots at the hospital stretch back to 1937, when hospital administrator Miss Gina Hanson invited presidents of local church aide societies to organize the first women's Auxiliary, with 47 members signing the charter; they would sew, make scrapbooks, fundraise, and make sick calls. The present-day Auxiliary started in 1973.

The Book & Bake Sale is one of several events the group runs throughout the year. In a recent year, the Auxiliary's Tea for All Seasons event raised $2,000 for patients at the Family BirthPlace, with other events including the Spring Bazaar and Salad Lunch. Proceeds from all of these efforts flow into the same pipeline: the JRMC Foundation raises financial resources to keep the campus and building in good condition, provide innovation and equipment for care, and fund programs for thousands of patients each year.

JRMC has earned recognition as a Top 100 Best Place to Work and a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital nationwide. Maintaining that standing at a community-owned, independent facility requires philanthropic support that goes beyond standard operating budgets, and the Auxiliary provides a direct, accessible channel for neighbors to contribute.

The Auxiliary meets the first Monday of each month and is always interested in new members. For more information about the JRMC Auxiliary or how to get involved, visit jrmcnd.com or call (701) 952-4809.