OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth, Illinois, welcomed community members on Saturday, January 21, 2023, for the Auxiliary Lights of Love reception. Deacon Tom Mann opened with a prayer and Jadyn Dwyer, coordinator of Volunteer Services, welcomed guests and shared information about the campaign before showing the 2022 Lights of Love presentation.
The OSF Holy Family Auxiliary hosts its Lights of Love campaign annually each November, providing an opportunity for donors to make a gift in honor and memory of loved ones. Letters are mailed out to past supporters and area businesses. Volunteers made a Lights of Love garland to display the names of those honored in the campaign. Donors were also recognized in the decorated hallway outside the gift shop from mid-December through January.
The Lights of Love campaign is the single largest annual fundraiser sponsored by the Auxiliary, bringing in around $10,000 each year. In addition, the Auxiliary hosts Collective Goods sales twice each year, RADA fundraisers, bake sales and more. The Auxiliary-owned OSF Holy Family Gift Shop is also supported by volunteers, with proceeds benefitting the facility. In 2022, the Auxiliary gave $20,000 to the medical center and $3,000 in scholarships to area college students pursuing health care-related fields. The OSF Holy Family Auxiliary and OSF HealthCare Foundation partnered to bring a new digital sign to the campus, which was installed in January.
“The support from our community is incredible,” said Karen Gibson, OSF Holy Family Medical Center Auxiliary president. “Since 1999, the Auxiliary has provided more than $335,000 in medical equipment, nearly $90,000 in college scholarships and over $50,000 toward renovation and updates to the facility. We appreciate the generous supporters who make it all possible.” Auxiliary board member and Lights of Love chairperson Sue Campbell, adds, “The Lights of Love campaign is a very special way for people to honor loved ones, and it is so touching to see the names displayed each year. We are blessed with a great community.”
The 2022 Lights of Love presentation can be viewed here.