“Shop Small Business” for the best personal, unusual and memorable gift purchases!

“Shop Local” to support your community!

“Shop Mercy Gift Shops” for the epitome of both the above goals, as Mercy Medical Center is the quintessential of “local” for us!

Please allow me to be your personal shopping assistant as I boast about Mercy Flowers & Gifts (the main shop in the 10th Street lobby) and Mercy Flowers, Gifts & More in the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center. Look at just some of the festive and fabulous offerings:

• New “Iowa Wave” shirts and sweatshirts, which benefit UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital

• Beautiful new seasonal and holiday apparel

• The latest and greatest ideas, including a 16 oz. coffee mug with handle from Corkcicle Drinkware

• As always, unique Christmas décor

• New holiday scent sand gift collections in Airome 100% Pure Essential Oils. There are new diffuser collections including fun holiday choices for kids, and these healthy fragrances are also appropriate for showers, weddings and all holidays. Because Airome Oils are so popular, the shops have added wax melts, which come in several popular scents, including seasonal and fragrance warmers. And, of course, there are candle warmers, the original alternative to lighting candles. These fragrances add serenity and well-being to our environments.

• And for those special men, Earth Luxe Men Homme collection, featuring lotion, body wash, soap and beard care products.

• Also leather bracelets, watches and scarves.

• Stock up on yummy chocolates and sweets – delicious Abdallah caramels, Virginia nuts, and candies in both holiday and Iowa canisters.

• Gorgeous plants and silk arrangements enhance our personal holiday decorating!

• Mercy Flowers, Gifts & More offers several tasty seasonal coffee/drinks to give us a boost during this busy season!

And, may I remind you that the gift shops offer:

• Free gift wrapping

• No sales tax

• Auxiliary/volunteer discount

• Proceeds benefit Mercy Auxiliary fundraising efforts

A salute to Jeff Morris, Gift Shop Manager, and Lori Bredl, Assistant Store Manager. Bouquets designed by Pam Norden for fresh flowers and Tammie Brewer for silk arrangements!

M E R C Y M E D I C A L C E N T E R December 2019

News to YouMercy Auxiliary Newsletter

Comment Corner —Shop SMALL, Shop LOCAL, Shop Mercy Shops this giving season!by Pat Martin, News to You Comment Coordinator

Pat Martin

Dates to Remember:Dec. 3-4 Kroul Farms Greenery Sale

Dec. 16 Board Meeting

If you have a change of address or membership status -

please contact Joleen Woods,

Auxiliary Administrative Assistant at (319) 398-6286

or jjwoods@mercycare.org.

Welcome New Auxiliary MembersNew Annual Member (One-time $10 fee)

Bonnie Streif

Mary Mowrer looks for Santa while shopping at Mercy.

Continued on next page

Should it become necessary or advisable to cancel an auxiliary board meeting due to weather conditions, please tune to local TV station KCRG and watch for the cancellation to scroll across the bottom of the screen. The cancellation will also appear on the KCRG website.

Jack Staudacher applies spike marks to the floor in preparation for the vendors setting up for the Mistletoe Market.

Members of the auxiliary busily package yummy items for the Mistletoe Market bake sale.

The invaluable volunteers for both shops have knowledge and enthusiasm that are such an asset to our Mercy and gift shop missions! Volunteers include the following:

Junie Allee, Kathy Arens, Jan Aucutt, Joan Auterman, Debbie Bills, Elizabeth Blocksome, Jan Chervenka, Pat Dean, Gary Dvorak, Carol Edwards, Joe Geier, Selena Glubka, Mary Hachey, Margaret Hamed, Nadine Harkemeyer, Joyce Hartmann, Joanne Hasselbrink, Steve Hauskins, Leah Rae Highly, Mary Hook, Sue Humphrey, Debbie Jacobs, Susan Kennedy, Hannah Kiser, Tanya Kitterman, Sam Krumbholz, Linda Kulish, Sr. Bonita Lentz, Audrey Luetters, Mary Magill, Angie Mally, Terri Moenk, Aude Mondelus, Jean Parsley, Judy Powers, Linda Richards, Dorothy Spaw, Judy Spinler, Kalon Thompson, Jeanne Vogt, Ramona Welsh, Sally Wendel and Gina Williams.

MERCI! GRAZIE! GRACIAS! DANKE SCHOEN! Thank you! Thank you!Many thanks to the auxiliary members who:

• Spent countless hours preparing for the Mistletoe Market

• Volunteered their time the day of the event by assisting guests and vendors

• Donated baked goods or money to benefit the bake sale

• Purchased coffee, raffle tickets, baked items, and merchandise from the gift shops and vendors

THANKS to all who contributed in any way to make it a profitable and enjoyable day!

Details about the success of the Mistletoe Market will be available in the January newsletter.

Thank you to our generous sponsors:

Silver Angel Sponsors ($300-$499)

Kirk S. Hiland

Murdoch Funeral Homes

NXT Bank

Gary R. Rozek

Ryan Companies

Teahen Funeral Home and Cremation Service

US Bank

Gold Angel Sponsors ($500-$999)

Bowker Mechanical

Joy Kuntz

Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services

Platinum Angel Sponsors ($1000 or greater)

Roger and Angie Baker

Cedar Memorial Funeral Home

Sandi and Pat Cobb

Drs. Tom & Tobi Staudacher

Interested in assisting with the market? Please contact Joleen Woods in the auxiliary office at (319) 398-6286.

Spring BazaarYes, there is a winter chill in the air, but we are thinking spring! Mercy Auxiliary’s Spring Bazaar will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2020. If you and/or a friend want to help with this event, please consider attending our first organizational meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8 in the Mercy Foundation board room. If you are interested in volunteering for the Spring Bazaar, but are unable to attend, please contact Joleen Woods in the auxiliary office at 398-6286 or email jjwoods@mercycare.org.

Thank you,Holly Becker and Joyce KlimesEvent Co-chairs

Hallmar residents create artificial floral arrangements Tammie Brewer from our very own Mercy Flowers & Gifts spent some time recently with Hallmar residents making an artificial fall flower arrangement. The results were festive for the season and it was a great activity to connect with our Hallmar residents. Completed arrangements were kept by residents for their own room decorations, and several others were given to residents unable to attend the session. Hallmar is always looking for volunteers to give their time and talents to help enrich the lives of its residents. If you’re interested, please stop by or call the volunteer office!

Joanne Hasselbrink will deck her halls with the help of Mercy gift shops.

Joyce Klimes and Holly Becker, both former co-leaders of Mercy Auxiliary, were co-chairs for Mistletoe Market 2019. Auxiliary membership includes many leaders, and this two-woman team exemplifies leadership that we see everywhere in Mercy Medical Center.

Leaders motivate others to reach a goal. Leaders possess personality and skills that make others want to follow them! Leadership is all about developing others and including others in decision-making.

Thank you, Joyce and Holly, for extraordinary fundraising leadership for Mercy Auxiliary.

This Advent calendar, created by Carol Brandt, was one of the five prizes raffled off during Mistletoe Market. Exquisite workmanship, fun and functional! Each of the 25 pockets on the calendar contained a special treat, including gift certificates. Total value of this prize was more than $600. Thank you, Carol, one of our artistic and generous auxiliary members.

Famous dynamic duos include Batman and Robin, Thelma and Louise, Bert and Ernie, and Carol Woods-Boren and Joy Kuntz! Carol and Joy work together in a number of roles for auxiliary fundraisers such as the Mistletoe Market. They worked the dock for Mistletoe Market, are good at decorating, and have helped vendors at their booths. Carol is also secretary of the auxiliary board and Joy is a generous sponsor of auxiliary events.

Joyce Henderson, Jan Appleton, Laura Staudacher and Ginny Ekwell utilized diplomacy and endurance to achieve Mistletoe Market’s goal of exciting and valuable raffle prizes. Thanks, ladies!

Tammie Brewer, silk design specialist with Mercy gift shops, shows pride in her student flower designers!