Volunteer-powered organization challenges community to double its impact for new mammography technology
For nearly 80 years, volunteer members of the Langley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary have quietly supported local health care by serving tea, sewing hospital gowns, running gift shops and, more recently, selling donated clothing, books and household goods through the Penny Pincher thrift store.
Today, those decades of service have led to one of its largest acts of generosity yet, with a commitment to match community donations to Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation’s Future of Mammography Campaign up to $500,000.
The Auxiliary has a long history of making transformational investments in local health care. In 1994, it donated $500,000 to establish the maternity clinic that proudly bears its name, and in 2020, it pledged $1.5 million toward the expansion of Langley Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Every dollar donated to the Future of Mammography Campaign will be doubled to help bring state-of-the-art mammography technology and improved breast cancer diagnostics to Langley Memorial Hospital.
The initiative will support the Foundation’s $2.1 million campaign to modernize the hospital’s mammography clinic, replacing aging equipment with advanced technology to allow patients to access both screening and diagnostic mammography in one location.
“Most of our members are women. We’ve all had mammograms for years, and cancer is such an important issue, so supporting this campaign was really a no-brainer,” says Barb Stewart, president of the Langley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which celebrates its 80th anniversary next year. The Auxiliary’s Penny Pincher thrift store generates about $1 million in annual revenue, while the hospital gift shop, donations, bequests and other fundraising initiatives have helped the Auxiliary fund more than $15 million in hospital equipment and other needs since 1994.
The Auxiliary’s annual gifts to Langley Memorial range from nearly $450,000 in 2021 to almost $800,000 in 2025 – and the impact is felt across every unit in the hospital, from the newborns who receive handmade outfits to the meet-and-greet programs for hospital visitors and scholarships for students going into medical fields.
The organization has also fundraised to support the purchase of three buses for residential care and, most recently, a seven-seat van to assist psychiatric unit patients at LMH’s Memorial Cottage’s tertiary rehabilitation program. The new van, which replaces an aging unreliable vehicle, helps patients get to appointments and activities in the community.
Earlier this year, the Auxiliary also committed about $450,000 toward new hospital equipment for areas such as surgery and cardiac care.
“Early detection saves lives, and this campaign is about giving women in our community access to the best possible care, close to home,” says Heather Scott, Executive Director of Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation. “Thanks to the Auxiliary’s remarkable generosity, every donation will make twice the impact, bringing us closer to a future where every patient has timely access to the breast health services they need.”
With growing public interest in thrift shopping, Stewart says Penny Pincher continues to attract new customers, including younger shoppers.
“Our revenue keeps growing because people know the money stays right here in Langley,” she says. “If you buy it here, the funding stays here.”
The Future of Mammography Campaign is one component of Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation’s ambitious three-year, $25 million campaign to ensure every Langley resident has access to lifesaving, timely and accurate care close to home. The campaign will invest in priority medical equipment and facilities that will improve care across the hospital and help meet the needs of Langley’s rapidly growing population.
