JBSA-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- The Brooke Army Medical Center Auxiliary held its annual welfare recognition ceremony May 20 in the San Antonio Military Medical Center auditorium.
"The welfare committee is responsible for issuing grants that support the BAMC mission," said Anne Feldman, BAMC Auxiliary president. "This is no small task given the amount of requests this committee receives."
This year, the welfare committee approved 40 grants totaling $65,000. The grants provide funding for a variety of items throughout several departments within BAMC as well as the Fisher House and the Warrior and Family Support Center.
"Today is just one very small part of all that the volunteers are doing both within the auxiliary and within the recipient organizations," said BAMC Commander Col. Evan Renz.
"The list of recipients is amazingly long and it's fantastic. The projects are so worthwhile and I appreciate those of you who actually applied for these gifts and grants because they represent your dedication to the patients," the commander said. "It makes such a difference for them. I want to thank you all."
The requests varied from the purchase of patient educational materials to more unique items such as birthing balls, breast feeding pillows, water weights, swim fins and a gift basket for BAMC's first baby of the New Year.
The Pediatric Post Anesthesia Care Unit received four children's wagons in different animal shapes to transport pediatric patients to surgery.
"We are so excited about our pediatric wagons," said Army 1st Lt. Dominique Songernfrei. "A lot of times little kids come in for surgery and they are scared. They have to be taken away from their mom and dad and go back to the operating room which is a big, scary room."
"If they get to ride in a caterpillar, that's cool," Sognernfrei said. "When they go back to the OR happy, they are going to wake up a little bit happier."
The auxiliary also presented a check in the amount of $52,440 to Inge Godfrey, BAMC Fisher House manager. The funds were raised from the annual Fisher House Charity Golf Tournament held on April 6.
Feldman also thanked the Kernel Club whose volunteers run the popcorn machine in the Medical Mall. "Those individuals represent over 1,060 volunteer hours," she said.
"The auxiliary plays such an important part of this organization and represents not simply one body of volunteers, but rather the whole spirit that's behind it and the hearts of all those who participate," Renz said.
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