Auxiliary
About the Auxiliary – Dedicated to Serving the needs of St. Joseph’s Health
The Auxiliary of St. Joseph's Health Hospital is an organization of approximately 600 men and women dedicated to serving the needs of St. Joseph's Health Hospital. The Auxiliary dates back to the establishment of the hospital and has proudly served the institution through the years.
In 1869, moved by the need to care for those who suffered from the diseases of the time and desiring to extend their aid to the poor, five Sisters of St. Francis purchased a dance hall and saloon on Prospect Hill for $12,000. On May 6 of that year, the sisters opened the doors of St. Joseph's Hospital, then a 15-bed facility with a yearly payroll of $100. It was Syracuse's first hospital.
Along with the city's first hospital came the formation of the first hospital Auxiliary. Mrs. Hannah Pease, a physician's wife, recognized that the sisters needed linens for the hospital. In 1870, Mrs. Pease, along with 45 other dedicated women, formed the Ladies' Aid Society. They met in their homes to sew for the sisters. This group became the nucleus of the Women's Auxiliary, officially formed in 1888 and is now known as The Auxiliary of St. Joseph’s Health Hospital.
More than 150 years later, the Auxiliary still exists to benefit St. Joseph’s Health. The group currently has more than 30 committees and service projects and is directed by a volunteer board. Since record keeping began in the 1990’s, the Auxiliary has donated well over 9.2 million dollars to St. Joseph’s Health Hospital
The Auxiliary initiated many fundraising programs & events, services and programs to St. Joseph's including:
Fundraisers:
- Lighting the Way
- Lobby Coffee Shop
- Gift Shop
- Vending Machines
- Social Events
Service to the hospital & its patients:
- Food Pantry
- ED Care & Share Closet
- Cecile Ianno Special Needs Memorial Fund
- Operation Backpack
- Ellen Needham Fund
- Centerline Newsletter
St. Joseph’s Health College of Nursing:
- Sister Wilhelmina Scholarship – Partial annual tuition award given to two
nursing students. - Sister Mary Obrist Scholarship – Full tuition given annually to a
nursing student.
Upcoming Events:
Check back again soon!
Those interested in helping continue the tradition of giving to St. Joseph's Hospital and helping to provide needed services are encouraged to join the Auxiliary.