Volunteering with Bassett: Gift Shops Offer More Than Merchandise

Linda Kulp has been volunteering in the gift shop at A.O. Fox Hospital since 2011, after she retired and moved back to the Oneonta area. She grew up in the community and always knew that when she returned, she was interested in this kind of service. The appreciation she feels from patients, their family members, hospital employees and everyone else who visits the store make Linda want to make it the best it can be.

“The merchandise is so beautiful. There are so few places in Oneonta where you can go to get such beautiful stuff. The gift shop is a treasure, not just for the hospital, but for the community as a whole,” says Linda. “I enjoy interacting with people, showing them things, and sometimes simply being someone they can talk to about what brings them to the hospital. I never ask anything personal, but if shoppers want to talk to me, they do and I listen. Before they leave, they always say thank you.”

Gift shops can be refuges for families as their loved ones receive care and a welcome relief for hardworking healthcare professionals on their breaks. Bassett Healthcare Network’s gift shops are located at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown and A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta.  Proceeds from the shops directly benefit the hospitals in the communities where they are located. Without enough volunteers to help operate them, many of these gift shops are only open on limited days or hours.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities by clicking here.

Linda encourages anyone with free time, but especially people who are newly-retired, to consider volunteering.

“You will feel good about how you are spending your time, doing something worthwhile for the community,” she says. “You will meet and connect with people and when you return home will feel great about the hours you spent helping others.”