A Century of Care: Auxiliary of Saint Francis celebrates 100 years of giving back.

By Melissa Cole

Saint Francis Hospital holds a special place in the heart of West Hartford resident Antoinette Carrabba. She spent much of her childhood there as her father, Dr. Salvatore Carrabba, served as an OB-GYN at the hospital for 42 years.

“As a child, I was one of six, and on the weekends, when he used to do rounds to check on patients, whether they were surgery patients or delivery patients, I had the opportunity to go one-on-one with Daddy to the hospital and visit the floors,” she recalled.

When she was a teenager Carrabba volunteered at the hospital as a “Pinky,” the name once given to junior volunteers because of their pink uniforms. Today, she continues her connection to the hospital as both a volunteer and board member of the Auxiliary of Saint Francis.

This month, the organization has a milestone to celebrate: the Auxiliary of Saint Francis is marking its 100th anniversary.

Auxiliary President Susan Joyse of Ellington says the hospital itself was established at the turn of the 20th century by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambéry. Around 1926, an employee in the hospital’s social services department traveled to the Midwest and discovered a concept that would have a lasting impact on Saint Francis.

When she returned, a small group of women came together to form the Women’s Auxiliary. In those early years, members visited patients, brought them books and snacks, and provided the kind of personal support that helped make a hospital stay a little more comfortable.

Joyse said the group also embraced fundraising. Their first fundraiser brought in about $4,000; that’s the equivalent of roughly $77,000 today!

The Auxiliary has grown steadily year after year, now consisting of about 500 members, mostly retired women, but also occasionally some men. And they are keeping true to the original mission of enhancing patient care at Saint Francis and Mount Sinai hospitals and supporting the local community. To date, the group has made significant financial contributions totaling over $16 million to the hospitals. 

There are several big fundraising efforts throughout the year that help make it all happen. West Hartford board member Kathy Corbalis said in the summer, they sell remembrance bricks. 

“If people want to honor a loved one, whether it’s a live or deceased, and it’s part of a beautiful garden outside of the hospital, kind of a Zen garden. We sell those bricks, and that money goes back to the hospital programs,” she said.

During the holiday season, the Auxiliary launches another longstanding tradition known as the Ribbons program.

“We sell purple, silver, and gold ribbons that go on Christmas trees that are decorated in the lobby,” Corbalis explained. “The purple ones are for physicians or any medical staff, alive or deceased, that you want to honor.”

This year’s fundraising efforts benefited the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with the Auxiliary donating approximately $5,000 to support the department and the care it provides to newborns and their families.

Most recently, the Auxiliary provided enough funding for a brand-new, state-of-the-art six-passenger minicab, replacing one that had become worn down after years of use.

If you’ve ever bought a baby gift or flowers in the hospital lobby’s gift shop, proceeds there also go towards their cause. In addition, the Auxiliary operates a newer thrift shop called Repetitions, located across from Panera Bread. Staffed entirely by Auxiliary volunteers, the store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Corbalis and Carrabba say the shop is always seeking donations from the community, including clothing, handbags, jewelry, household items, and other gently used goods.

“If somebody comes in and buys something, and then they say, ‘Gee, I’m cleaning out my loved one’s things, and I’ve got X, Y, Z,’ we say, ‘Bring it in,'” Carrabba said. “We’ll even pick it up!”

Prices are very affordable and inventory is rotated regularly. While hospital visitors and employees are frequent customers, the shop is also open to residents of the nearby Woodland community. Repetitions also works closely with case managers to help patients who may not have the clothing or essentials they need when leaving the hospital.

“We serve the case management department, and if they have a patient who is in need of clothing, shoes, or anything else when they’re being discharged and don’t have the appropriate things to go home with, case management has the ability to come into our thrift shop 24/7 and get whatever they need,” Carrabba said.

Saturday, June 6, marked the Auxiliary’s 100th anniversary celebration at the Hartford Golf Club. To commemorate the milestone, members presented a $100,000 donation to establish the Saint Francis Hospital Auxiliary Oncology Endowment Fund. Hospital representatives joined the Auxiliary for a special check presentation during the celebratory event. 

“We had all talked about it and thought, what could we do? One hundred years of the Auxiliary is very significant, so we wanted the gift to be very significant. And the fact that it’s going to continue to grow, we created this for today as well as the future. We want it to last for another hundred years,” Corbalis said.

These three women agree that while it’s rewarding to know they’re making a difference, the friendships they’ve built along the way are what make their volunteer work truly special.

“It’s a way to use your talents, give back to the community, and meet lovely people,” Corbalis said.

The Auxiliary is always looking for new members and would love to see people of all ages and backgrounds get involved. The time commitment can be as big or as small as volunteers want it to be, with plenty of opportunities and committees available to fit different interests and schedules.

“You’re working with a dynamic organization, and you’re involved in something that’s very relevant right now,” Joyse said. “Healthcare touches everyone. Everybody is affected by it in some way. Being able to combine that with philanthropy and knowing the outcome is something very good, is incredibly rewarding.”

To learn more about becoming a member, visit this link or call 860-714-4558.

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