All-Twig Board meets in May at hospital

VW independent/submitted information

The All-Twig board met on Wednesday, May 15, in Conference Room B with members of all of the three Twig groups present.

Representatives of the three Twig groups were welcomed by chairman LaDonna Allenbaugh, who then called the meeting to order. Allenbaugh gave the invocation and members present were provided a lunch catered by Lock 16 as a special luncheon for all hospital staff that day.

The minutes of the January 16 meeting were accepted as presented.

The following reports were given:

Twig I: Activity at the Thrift Store has continued at a usual pace. The building update project of re-siding has been completed. They also had to install a new back door due to re-framing needs with the new siding. This was the first major update to the building since its inception and should secure the outside for many years to come. This was a joint project between Twig I and Twig II.

The Hospital Thrift shop has a new sign outside the front of the building due to the generosity of the son of Twig II member Beverlee Profit.

Membership started at 52 in January with 36 active and 16 emeritus members. Twig I has two new members and three members resigning due to health issues.

The group had speakers at its meetings from organ transplant miracles, embroidery, new flower shop activities, and economic development.

Twig II: The group has 48 members, 25-35 of which volunteer monthly at the Thrift Shop and attend monthly meetings. The group is thankful to the generous donations of bags of clothing from First United Methodist Church collected during the Lenten season.

The March program was presented by Van Wert Health on the hospital building update. The May program was presented by Tafi Stober and Kylie Owens from the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio (NPAC).

The June meeting will be a picnic at Franklin Park. The group will take a summer break in July and August.

Twig III:  The group has 19 members. The group did not meet in February due to weather conditions. The Hospital Gift Shop continues to have new items on display for sale.  

Many members attended the hospital volunteer appreciation luncheon held at Willow Bend Country Club.  

Presentations were made at the monthly meetings by Ellen Rager/Van Wert Health on a survey being done of the community. Deacon Andy from St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church on Love Inc., and Tafi Stober and Kylie Owens from the NPAC.  

Debbie Compton gave an update on the annual report from the hospital. The Van Wert North facility saw its 10,000th patient in March. It opened in June 2018 and this number supports the need for this facility and its services. Compton reported that the construction on the new hospital addition is on target for the building to be completed in October 2019. The transition will take place in November and patients will begin to be seen there in December 2019. There will be a steel topping ceremony in July. People will be allowed to sign the final piece of steel before it is placed.

Debbie provided the members present with the “wish list” from the hospital. Groups will take this list back to their membership to determine which items to be purchased from their donations to the hospital. This list is given later than normal this year due to the construction projects at the hospital. 

Those attending: 

Twig I: LaDonna Allenbaugh, Mae Stoller

Twig II: Kathy Keysor, Linda Stanley, Nancy Wolverton

Twig III: Jane Lianez, Jill Smelser, Eileen Lucier

The next meeting will be held at noon Wednesday, July 17, at the hospital.