Sinai's Women Auxiliary
The Auxiliary program at New England Sinai Hospital offers women opportunities to share interests and develop enriching friendships while working on fund raising projects and participating in educational programs and social events.
Auxiliary meetings are held March through December, usually on the third Wednesday of each month. In addition to conducting business and planning for upcoming events, meetings often include a program of interest to the membership.
From luncheons, brunches, and barbeques to art auctions, raffles, merchandise sale and concerts, the Auxiliary sponsors a wide variety of activities that coordinate the multi-faceted interests of its membership with the art of fund raising.
The history of the Women's Auxiliary program dates back to the founding of the hospital when a small group of Auxilians were instrumental in raising funds for the purchase and furnishing of the Jewish Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Rutland, Massachusetts the forerunner of New England Sinai Hospital. Then, as today, the Auxiliary members understood that many of the personal, emotional, and recreational needs of Sinai patients and their families are unique to a patient population requiring long-term hospital care.
And it is this fact that has shaped the Auxiliary's vitality and served as a cornerstone of their mission to make the environment at Sinai one that is especially nurturing and comforting for patients and their family members. By providing equipment and developing programs that concentrate on enhancing the quality of life for patients, the Sinai Auxilians add a vital ingredient to the sense of care and compassion for which New England Sinai is recognized.
Over the years, the Auxiliary has been responsible for financing a significant number of Sinai projects and programs including:
- the occupational therapy kitchen where patients re-learn skills needed to return home and to their former lifestyle
- the Julie Dias Fund: The special physical needs of many long term patients makes leaving the hospital difficult and costly. The fund, named in memory of a former Auxiliary President and Sinai employee, provides monies for patient outings.
- the Auxiliary has established two endowment funds within the Develoment Department.