(Hammond) - The Holiday Fellowship and Volunteer Thank You Luncheon saluting the volunteers of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC) in Hammond was a chance for the Center to show its appreciation for the efforts volunteers make all year long to anticipate a cancer patient's needs.
"Our volunteers our extremely valuable to us,” said MBPCC President and CEO Todd Stevens. “They are the heart of the Center. Whether it's getting a blanket or lending an ear, it all means the same thing – that someone cares. Their collective compassion makes the patients feel they are individuals surrounded by warmth and love.”
Noel Parnell, MBPCC director of volunteer services, told those assembled that Mary Bird Perkins volunteers provide over 1,000 hours of service to patients each year, adding, “It's great to show appreciation at this time of year for those who continuously offer their support in helping us meet our needs.”
Mary Bird Perkins has many rewarding opportunities for those who would like to volunteer. For more information about the different ways you could offer your help, please call 985-542-5000 or visit our website at
www.marybird.org .
Photo Caption: Enjoying a holiday luncheon at O'Donnell's Restaurant in Ponchatoula are (Front row, l to r): Joy Sheridan, Lou Fitzmorris, Doris Sweatt, Basil Sweatt. (Back row, l to r): Elsie Davis, Robbye Bell, Reba Perrin, Juanita Pearson, Dixie Moore, Rosemary Rownd. About the Center and its C.A.R.E. Network:
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is the only independent, community-owned, nonprofit cancer treatment, education and research facility in the State. Serving a 15-parish region in southeast Louisiana, it provides state of the art radiation therapy to all patients, regardless of ability to pay. The Center's C.A.R.E. Network (Cancer Support Services, Awareness and Education, Research and Early Detection), established in 2002 to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in southeast Louisiana and to improve the quality of life for those affected by cancer , is funded by gifts from the community. Annually , it provides hundreds of free programs to thousands of patients and health care professionals, as well as to the public each year. The Center has facilities in Baton Rouge, Covington and Hammond.