More than 200 past and present members of Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s volunteer services, the Auxiliary, gathered to celebrate the group’s 60th anniversary last month with a special celebration in Helena’s Café in the hospital’s West Tower. Started in 1951 by a group of six local volunteers, the Auxiliary has grown to more than 850 members who play an integral role in providing compassionate services to the medical center’s patients and visitors.
In 2010, the volunteers logged more than 154,000 hours of service and donated $201,000 to the medical center, generated through the volunteer-run Gift Shop and other fundraisers throughout the year. The volunteers strive to maintain the core values of the medical center: service, excellence, knowledge, stability and community.
Former and current Auxiliary members published a “Diamond Anniversary Delights” cookbook in celebration of the 60th (diamond) anniversary. It features more than 150 recipes from the kitchens of Auxiliary members past and present. It sells for $12 and is available in the Torrance Memorial Gift Shop.
