Mary Bondarevich has been a vital player in the success of the Sturgeon Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer Association (SHAVA) since it began 43 years ago.
As a founding member, she has been volunteering for the group since May of 1969 and has since put in more than 38,000 hours, with no plans to stop.
“I hope to make it to 45 years as a volunteer,” she said. “It takes a bit of your time, but that’s what you’re there for. It does a person good. I really think it does.”
Bondarevich began volunteering after her next-door neighbours convinced her and she’s since helped to raise more than $2.2 million for the Sturgeon Community Hospital.
“It’s the people,” she said. “I’ve always been around people and this is a thing that I’ve always liked to do.”
She continues to volunteer once every two weeks at the gift store and book store.
“Volunteers like Mary are such an important part of our Sturgeon family,” said Wendy Tanaka-Collins, director of the Sturgeon Community Hospital. “Mary’s continued commitment and devotion to volunteerism contribute in so many ways to enhance the experience of our patients and families.”
With the money it raises, SHAVA purchases equipment for the hospital, which can range from televisions to wheelchairs.
“We’ve bought an awful lot of equipment and that’s what we’ve focused on,” Bondarevich said. “When the old hospital disappeared, it was kind of sad because there was a lot of things that went into there that were helpful.”
The association’s first purchase was three television sets for $512 in 1970. The money came from revenue generated from the hospital gift shop, which Bondarevich started.
The shop could only fit two people and was started with a $300 loan. Within two months, Bondarevich paid back the loan and started to turn a profit.
The gift shop sold handmade merchandise created by the group of volunteers and Bondarevich said it went a long way in bringing the volunteers together.
“The fun we used to have when we were doing our crafts – it was good. It still is good,” she said.
The main moneymakers for the association are the hospital gift shop and the SHAVA Bookstore, located in Grandin Park Plaza.
“You get to know the people that are your customers and you know exactly when they walk in ‘Oh, I’ve got a book for you,’ because I know what they’re looking for,” she said.
Bondarevich was the fourth president of SHAVA and served as historian.
She joked that the husbands of volunteers should also be recognized for their commitment, as they are often the ones left babysitting kids and cleaning up the house.
Bondarevich said she looks forward to celebrating 45 years with SHAVA and said she will continue to volunteer for as long as she can.
Although it’s rewarding to have been able to purchase much-needed equipment for the hospital, she said the lifelong friendships are equally as important.
“You make friends and that’s great. You go and you make friends and do projects and you do it together,” she said. “It makes you happier. You’re doing something for people.”
