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Not the norm, younger volunteers serve as example to othersMaria, as a busy stay-at-home mom with three young children, is moving from sunup to sundown. Doug, who works for the Brown County Sheriff’s Department and coaches aspiring gymnasts at the New Ulm Gymnastics Academy, has little time to himself. Yet the young couple, who moved back to New Ulm after living near Seattle for 9 years, still manage to squeeze their free time, finding a few hours each month to volunteer at the New Ulm Medical Center. “We do it because we want to do it. We do it because we think it is important work and we want to set an example for our children,” Doug said. “We want our children to know that it is not only their grandma and grandpa who volunteer, but that volunteering is for all ages, even if it’s just a few hours a month.” About 150 men and women currently donate their time to the medical center and the need continues to increase. Although a handful of high school and college students volunteer during the summer, not many young and middle-aged adults belong to the volunteer community at the medical center. But younger generations are vital to not only ensure the legacy of volunteerism at the Medical Center, but to advance its operations. “Especially now, since the renovation and expansion of the hospital and clinic, it’s even more modern and high tech. It’s not an old fashioned hospital anymore,” said Doug Hughes, who greets hospital visitors at the front desk. “I think that younger people would enjoy the atmosphere here and find ways to help.” Maria Hughes, whose volunteer hours are spent taking minutes in her role as secretary of the Medical Center’s Auxiliary Board, said there is an element of selflessness that volunteers must possess. “You’re giving your time, which is your most valuable commodity. To someone with a busy job or a family, you work to jealously guard your time. Young adults often don’t feel they have time outside of work to spare for volunteer activities,” she said. “But volunteering is so important because it gives you such a sense of accomplishment. I think when you contribute, without getting something back, it’s good for your soul.” Doug Hughes said that his mother, Evelyn Hacker, former president of the Medical Center Auxiliary Board, was employed as a nursing supervisor at the Medical Center for many years. (Hacker was named Minnesota Volunteer of the Year in 2004 by the Minnesota Hospital Association.) “I spent a lot of time here as a kid and then in high school, waiting for a ride home from school,” he said. “Choosing to volunteer here was natural, it’s familiar to me.” “I have also watched two of my sisters, Missy Tauer and Rachel Domeier, and my aunt, Willie Osgood, do volunteer work at the medical center over the years. They have set a great example for our family,” Hughes added. It’s also a way for the couple to re-connect to the community in which they were raised. “ I know I’m helping when I’m volunteering, but it is also giving me something in return,” Maria Hughes said. “I’m a stay-at-home mom and it was hard for me to feel like I was contributing to society outside of my home. When I was working – I was a copy editor at a newspaper for 9 years – I felt like I was making a contribution. When that job was done, there was this big, empty space in my life. Volunteering gets me out , interacting with other adults in the community and doing some good. Volunteering at the medical center adds even more because I know I am doing important work in the community.”  Back to Health Edition |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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