If you’ve visited Sharp Coronado Hospital on a weekday morning, you’ve probably been greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked cookies. That’s because volunteers from the hospital’s auxiliary are hard at work, transforming the lobby into a virtual bakery.
Dorene Friedman, fondly known as the hospital’s Cookie Queen, has been baking cookies since the program’s inception in 2016. As a volunteer at the front desk, she and then Chief Operating Officer Christopher Walker envisioned the power of greeting patients, staff, and visitors with the smell of home.
On a Monday, Dorene cooks 15 dozen cookies. Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough makes the task easy (and comes in chocolate chip, chocolate/chocolate chip, oatmeal and snickerdoodle flavors). She pops the nuggets into the special oven right in the lobby. After cooking and cooling, she places the cookies in individual paper baggies which greet folks as they check in. Additionally, she roams the halls of the first floor, enticing patients of the radiology, lab, and outpatient clinics to indulge in these sugar bombs. They are especially appreciated by the lab patients first thing in the morning if they have been fasting before having blood drawn. They can pick up a bag as they leave and get an instant infusion of calories.
The Auxiliary is currently recruiting more volunteers for this gratifying role. If you have two to three morning hours to donate, once a week, please consider choosing this fun way to put a smile on 15 dozen faces!
To join the Auxiliary, apply at www.sharp.com/volunteers/coronado.
Questions? Email Volunteer Services at [email protected].
