National Volunteer Week is the time to recognize and thank one of American’s most valuable assets: our volunteers. It is also an opportunity to call the public’s attention to all that volunteers do to improve our communities.

At Martin Memorial Health Systems, our volunteers range in age from 15 to 98 years of age, and in 2009 gave a record 190,952 hours. The current estimated value of volunteer time is $20.25 per hour as determined by the Independent Sector using pertinent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That gives the nearly 200,000 hours volunteered a value of $3,866,778. That’s almost $4 million in free labor provided by our volunteers, displaying once again the invaluable partnership between not-for-profit Martin Memorial and the community we serve.

Martin Memorial also oriented 198 new volunteers in 2009 – another all-time high. And the Martin Memorial Auxiliary completed its pledge to provide $1 million to the three-year-old Frances Langford Heart Center by paying the last $50,000 installment on April 13, 2009. The Auxiliary also continued providing $40,000 in scholarships for area students pursuing health care careers, helping to shape the future of care on the Treasure Coast.

These actions serve as testament to the amazing commitment our volunteers have to Martin Memorial and our community. Their dedication is unswerving and we thank them for their loyalty and devotion.

On behalf of the entire volunteer services team at Martin Memorial, thank you to all of our volunteers for everything they do for the health system. They are truly our partners in providing hope at every turn.