Hospital Employees Raise $30,000 for Animal Shelter

Magnolia Regional Health Center employees have stepped up to help the Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter this year after voting it the hospital’s charity of choice for 2017.

MRHC employees have planned events, coordinated fundraisers and competed against other hospital departments to raise money for the shelter. All donations and monies raised were given solely by employees and individuals in the community.

Each year, the shelter must raise about $100,000 to provide medical care and housing for the dogs and cats, said Charlotte Doehner, volunteer director of the Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter.

“The donations we received from the employees at Magnolia helped us reach our goal and helped us to provide extra care like heartworm treatment and surgical procedures to save lives,” Doehner said. “We also were able to transport over 200 dogs to their new homes in other states. We are so grateful to each and every person who donated their time and money, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

By year’s end, MRHC will have raised $30,000 for the local shelter. With many animal health maintenance and building improvement needs, the shelter was able to use the money to save several animals’ lives and to better the conditions for the ones that are housed in the community now.

According to Doehner, the donations from the hospital have helped purchase a new clothes dryer, a new bathtub and flooring, eight new doghouses, 10 breakdown and play cages, seven new fans to cool animals, four new air conditioners and a new heating system.

In addition, 11 kennels and a ceiling fan were repaired, electrical wiring and plumbing were upgraded, medicine was replenished, more than 1,400 shots were administered, and animals were tested and treated for heartworms and provided other veterinary care.

The hospital also helped cover transportation costs and improved the animal tracking system to increase adoptions.

“Our organization is truly filled with individuals who are compassionate and caring for others,” said Ronny Humes, MRHC CEO. “This employee-led initiative has really made an impact on the local shelter, and I commend all of our team for doing such a great thing for our community.”

Each year, MRHC employees are asked to nominate organizations to be considered for fundraising. The charities tell MRHC employees how their organization affects the hospital’s seven-county service area. The employees then select which one will be the hospital’s charity of the year.

The nominations for 2018 are closed and include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Alzheimer’s Foundation; Pine Vale Children’s Home; Amen Pantry; Living Free Ministries: Addiction Recovery; OASIS Resource Center for Women; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital; The United Way; C.H.A.M.P.; and Wounded Warrior.