For more than a century, the Orange Hospital Auxiliary has been hard at work raising vital funds to support our local hospital, but to continue doing so, they need a little help.

Founded in 1923, the Orange Hospital Auxiliary has raised more than $6.6 million (more than $12 million adjusting for inflation) to purchase much-needed items for Orange Hospital. From $380,000 for the hydrotherapy pool to $8000 for a pair of blood pressure monitors, the Orange Hospital Auxiliary has made an immeasurable contribution to our local health service and the lives of many in our community.

Today, the auxiliary’s main fundraising activity is operating the cafe at the Orange Hospital, a job that is done entirely by volunteers, and last year brought in a profit of $289,000 — every cent of which went to purchasing items for the hospital.

But, with volunteers aging and fewer new recruits to take their place, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill the cafe roster, says Orange Hospital Auxiliary President Christine Hannus.

“At the moment, we have 40 shifts a week, either three or four-hour shifts, and I have 25 or 26 people to cover those,” Christine said.

“That means that a lot of us are doing two or three shifts, so I've got people working eight, 12, and 15 hours a week volunteering, and that can't be sustained.”

Currently, the cafe operates five days a week from 9am to 3pm, with volunteers working either a four-hour morning shift from 8.30am to 12.30pm, or a three-hour afternoon shift from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

“We used to have a seven-day service, but we don't have enough volunteers,” Christine explained.

“We used to be open till 5pm, but again, there’s that pressure of trying to get [volunteers] to be available for that length of time.”

Another difficulty is that the role requires people to be on their feet for long periods, which limits who can volunteer.

“Because it's quite physical work, we need to be appealing to people who are very mobile… people who are maybe just moving into retirement time or thinking about what they’re going to do when they actually retire, and this is a space where we could accommodate them,” Christine said.

Volunteers are needed mostly for sales roles, as well as for food preparation and coffee-making.

While there is work to be done, it is a very social atmosphere, and it’s a role that provides a lot of satisfaction for volunteers, Christine said.

“I think it's a vital service for visitors and staff. We are quite well patronised, plus visitors often compliment us on how fresh our sandwiches are, or that we made a great cup of coffee,” she explained.

“What volunteers get out of it is the personal satisfaction of doing something for others. They're giving back. They’re giving their time and everything goes back into the community, so they can see something for the effort that they are making.

“And you make some great connections with the other volunteers. You have an opportunity to get to know other people, what their lives were about, and it's just generally a very pleasant place to be.”

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for the Orange Hospital Auxiliary Cafe, or wants to know more, can call the cafe on 63697197, or phone and leave your details for Christine Hannus on 0488038801.