Lorraine Hughes is a special volunteer.
She joined Mission Health Care Auxiliary in 1961. She has been in the Auxiliary for more than 60 years.
At that time prospective members were introduced by members and Hughes was introduced by Eleanor Lobb.
Hughes even had to get baby sitters so that she could attend meetings.
At the beginning Hughes was one of those members who worked behind the scenes – doing laundry and sewing which included mending and sewing on labels. She was a member of the sewing group who, among many projects, was responsible for making a bed quilt for every resident in the new ECU that opened in 1978. She also helped create quilts for third floor and Pediatrics and smocks for the nurses in pediatrics.
Up until 2005, Hughes made many hand puppets that were given to children in Pediatrics and after the closing of Pediatrics, to children in Emergency and the Laboratory.
Between 1964 and 1981 there was a Hospital Auxiliary Ball with a different theme each year; Lorraine played an important and inventive part with the creation of the costumes and decorations and has created a book about the balls.
When the Auxiliary began to have men as members, Hughes made blue vests for them to wear.
She is a knitter as well as a sewer and was a convener of that group. Hughes has herself knitted about five baby sets every year for over 50 years, almost 300 sets, and many pairs of slippers and socks.
After Regionalization Hughes represented the Auxiliaries of the Upper Fraser Valley at the meetings of the Fraser Valley Hospital Foundation Board and is a member of that board today.
One of her greatest gifts to the hospital and to the Auxiliary was the starting of the Emergency Clothing Cupboard in 2007 after a nurse in Emergency mentioned how many people were in need of clothing before they could leave.
Hughes bought many items of clothing like shoes and sweat pants and took any suitable items, from the Cottage, home to sanitize before checking and restocking the cupboard in Emergency each month.
This service is much appreciated by the staff.
– Information provided
by the Mission Health
Care Auxiliary