Marcia Perlmutter has donated $7,000 to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in memory of her aunt, Blanche Margolis, a longtime volunteer at the Ford Road Campus gift shop. Mrs. Perlmutter's donation will be used to recognize the service of other volunteers, and to enhance the volunteer services program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
In appreciation of Mrs. Perlmutter's gift, a plaque bearing Ms. Margolis' name has been installed in the gift shop, next to the counter where she donated her time for 24 years. "I think it looks beautiful by the gift shop," said Mrs. Perlmutter. "It makes me feel her spirit is still there."
More than 550 volunteers at Jefferson have contributed 73,000 hours between the two campuses. Most of the volunteers reside in the neighborhoods surrounding the campuses, and range in ages from 14 to well into their 90s. Volunteers donate between one and 40 hours a week of their time and talent in a wide variety of roles and departments across the University, from clerical work to feeding patients to knitting clothes for premature newborns.
"Our volunteers enjoy a profound sense of satisfaction from helping with patient care at the hospital," says Patricia Wallace, director of the volunteer services program at Jefferson. "It is important to recognize the tireless devotion of volunteers like Blanche Margolis and the very real contribution they make to the well-being of every patient who receives care at Jefferson."