In 2020, UHKF established the Sister Dorothy Fournier Award for Volunteerism to recognize the outstanding contribution of long-time UHKF volunteer, Sister Dorothy (“Sister D”).
The award is granted to an individual, organization or community group who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer commitment by dedicating their time to UHKF in support of work efforts, event preparation and mission moments, all to benefit health care in Kingston.
2024 Award Recipient: Sharon Vickers
Sharon Vickers has volunteered at UHKF for two and a half years. In that time, she has become a valuable member of our team, helping in many areas. Sharon brings with her years of experience that she shares with the team at UHKF. She is kind and generous with her time. Sharon volunteers 2 mornings a week, during which time she helps with many tasks including preparing donations for processing, answering the phones, greeting donors, taking donations and writing welcome cards to new donors to name a few. Sharon also lends a hand weekly to do thank you calls to our donors and makes every effort to actually reach a person, calling back many times in order to not leave a message as she believes the personal touch is so important.
Sharon is incredibly generous with her time and spreads her warmth everywhere she goes. She not only volunteers for UHKF but dedicates her time with Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), specifically at Hotel Dieu Hospital, which brings her much enjoyment. She once shared with a UHKF staff member that “walking into Hotel Dieu is like walking into a big hug.” Sharon will never refuse to help, and is always flexible with her time and talent. She makes herself available at the drop of a dime, always professional, always pleasant, always friendly, and always genuine. Sharon is continually interested in what she is working on; she puts 100% into everything she does, no matter what the task. The one thing the staff of UHKF know is that if we call Sharon to volunteer, we need to have something for her to do - she does not like to sit idle!
Sharon’s ability to brighten the atmosphere at UHKF allows people around her to be themselves. She is genuinely interested in the staff and imparts her wisdom and knowledge freely. Sharon is truly a valuable part of the UHKF team and we all appreciate her very much. When she travels in the winter, her absence is felt and she is dearly missed. We are very fortunate to have such a kind, knowledgeable and dedicated volunteer as a part of our team.
Previous recipients:
2020 Sister Dorothy (“Sister D”)
2021 Jessica Hutchings
2023 Brooklyn Tryon