A couple volunteers at Powell Valley Healthcare figured out a way to stretch their small budget to not only support the staff at PVHC, but also local restaurants.

Volunteers Lanette Carter and Katie Jensvold were trying to find a way to do something good with the funding they had, most of which comes from sales at the PVHC gift shop.

“You know when you brainstorm back and forth? We were doing that and asking ‘How can we help?’” Carter said.

After bouncing ideas off each other, they came up with the idea of providing gift certificates to each staff member for local restaurants. They contacted local establishments, and 14 signed up to participate; Carter said they were very grateful for the help.

“We heard restaurants are struggling, and we wanted to do something good for them and the [PVHC] staff,” Jensvold said.

There are a little more than 450 staff members at PVHC, and each one got a $10 gift certificate.

Amid the COVID-19 restrictions, the hospital is not using any volunteers, meaning the ladies couldn’t deliver the gift certificates themselves, but Jim Cannon, volunteer services for PVHC, said the gifts were well received. The hospital put up a poster on the gift shop window for staff members to express their thanks, which the volunteers will see when they return.

Working with PVHC staff, Carter and Jensvold said they have become good friends with many of them.

“We sure do miss them,” Carter said.

The restrictions mean some services, such as the care center’s beauty salon, are closed indefinitely. 

“There’s nothing to make a woman feel better than getting your hair done,” Carter said of the necessary but unfortunate closure.

Visitors are restricted and aren’t buying gifts from the gift shop, which is the volunteer’s main source of funding. They use the money for a wide range of activities every year to the benefit of staff and the community.

Some of the volunteers’ fundraising activities have also been canceled. The group had bought some clothes and planned a fashion show of sorts, but it’s been postponed.

Of course, the volunteers understand the reasons for the restrictions and will continue to do what they can to help during the pandemic.

“Anything we can do to help, that’s what we do,” Carter said.

Pat Gerhman, PVHC volunteers president, said donations to the volunteers’ funding are being accepted. Anyone wishing to contribute can call 754-9181.

“If they wanted to help us build up our coffers again, that would be great,” Gehrman said.