AUSTINTOWN — St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital Auxiliary is celebrating 90 years of service to the Youngstown community.

The milestone was celebrated at a noon luncheon Monday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Center. During the event, auxiliary members were presented a memento gift donated by the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley in honor of their service and shared memories of the many services provided to patients and staff at both St. Elizabeth Youngstown and St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospitals.

“The St. Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary is a blessing to our hospital and the Mahoning Valley,” Kathy Harley, president of St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, said. “From raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to volunteering in our hospitals, their contributions to our community are innumerable. We share our immense gratitude to the members of the auxiliary for all they have done, and continue to do, for Youngstown. When many hospital auxiliaries are closing, ours is thriving due to all the great works from Rita Havas and her auxiliary team.”

The St. Elizabeth Auxiliary has approximately 70 members, many of whom worked as nurses and other health care professionals before retiring and volunteering their time. The group, which also started serving St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital 15 years ago, raises funds to support projects at both hospitals through various fundraisers, including book, jewelry and shoe and uniform sales.

The auxiliary also provides volunteers who serve the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center, as well as other parts of the hospitals. Other auxiliary projects include providing hand knitted and crocheted baby blankets for newborns in the St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital maternity unit and pillows for post-abdominal surgical patients.

“For 15 years, St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital has benefited from the many contributions of the St. Elizabeth Auxiliary, and we could not be more grateful for their commitment to our hospital and community,” Genie Aubel, president of St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, said. “Today, we celebrate nearly a century’s worth of volunteering and fundraising to support Mahoning Valley patients and the people who are the heart of our auxiliary.”

The organization has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for needed equipment to enhance patient care in several hospital departments, including dialysis units, the Sim Lab training center, wound care centers and resources for the hospital nursing departments and the St. Elizabeth Youngstown Cardiac Rehabilitation unit.

The auxiliary also has given endowments for nursing scholarships and donated funds to the Panerathon, which go to the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley to support the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center. They’ve also made donations to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, the foundresses of the hospitals, and funded grants to refurbish a chapel statue and support the Mercy Health Police K9 program.

“With 90 years of service, the St. Elizabeth Auxiliary carries on a rich history of caring for the people of the Mahoning Valley through our support of our area hospitals,” Joyce Kester, president of the St. Elizabeth Auxiliary, said. “It is our honor to serve these hospitals and this community, and we look forward to continuing this service for years to come.”