Auxiliary

Like the inspiring and visionary woman who spearheaded its creation, the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary is a force for good.

Since its founding in 1969, the Auxiliary has played a vital role in raising funds to support a wide range of programs and services at Eisenhower. In addition, it has recruited and trained a corps of volunteers whose contributions of time and talent have been nothing short of extraordinary.

Auxiliary’s Achievements

Some highlights of the Auxiliary’s achievements of the past half-century include:

• At the time of its creation, one of the largest volunteer organizations in California
• Launching the enduringly popular Collectors Corner premier resale shop in 1973
• Funding annual nursing scholarships for Eisenhower employees
• Raising more than $23 million to support Eisenhower Health
• Producing 15,000 cloth face masks for hospital staff and supporters in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic
• Securing funds to build a new, expanded Eisenhower Memory Care Center

These and countless other Auxiliary initiatives demonstrate the far-reaching impact that a group of committed individuals can have when it comes to benefiting the lives of so many in our community. From the weekly shift of a volunteer at the hospital information desk to the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment, the Auxiliary’s contributions have been instrumental in making Eisenhower the world-class health care organization it is today.

Won’t you join us? Call 760-895-7687 or e-mail Auxiliary@EisenhowerHealth.org for more information.

Collectors Corner

This premier resale shop has been a must-visit retail destination since the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary launched it in 1973. It’s an ever-changing treasure trove of carefully curated home furnishings, designer men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, jewelry, collectibles, sporting goods, electronics and more—all donated and offered at a range of price points to ensure there’s something for everyone.

Collectors Corner plays a significant role in the Auxiliary’s fundraising, accounting for much of its annual fundraising revenue, a major portion of the $23 million the Auxiliary has raised since its inception. All funds help support Eisenhower’s programs and services through the purchase of medical equipment, providing nursing scholarships, funding building projects and public health education initiatives. That works out to more than $500,000 a year!

Many of the people who donate to Collectors Corner are former Eisenhower patients who want to give back to express their gratitude for the excellent care they received. Donations are tax-deductible, and the shop offers free pickup of large furniture and household items.

Staffed by a team of paid employees and volunteers, the 15,000-square-foot Collectors Corner is located at 71280 Highway 111 in the heart of Rancho Mirage.

Shoppers and donors are always welcome! Learn more about Collectors Corner - Premier Thrift Store

Volunteers

For information about Eisenhower Volunteer Services, click here.

Memory Care Center

Thanks to the fundraising firepower of the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary and the Eisenhower Health Foundation, a new Memory Care Center is slated to open its doors in Rancho Mirage in 2025. The 20,000 square-foot Center will provide adult day care for memory-impaired adults and respite for their caregivers—the only facility of its kind in the valley.

Eisenhower has offered memory care since 1984—a cause the Auxiliary has supported for decades—but the demand for services began to outpace the capacity of its 8,000-square-foot center in Palm Desert. Recognizing the immense need for this type of community resource, in 2019 the Auxiliary, in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation, committed to raising $10 million to create a new, expanded Center.

Within months, philanthropist Joyce Brandman, a longtime major supporter of Eisenhower Health, stepped forward with a generous donation. With Brandman’s exceptional gift, a new, improved facility designed to optimize health and independence for the memory impaired as well as provide supportive resources for families/caregivers is coming to fruition. The Center will feature a larger support group room as well as expanded areas for activities and dining, a state-of-the-art kitchen and an atrium garden—making more activities for social engagement, mental stimulation and ability-level physical participation possible.

Ongoing fundraising by the Auxiliary—including a popular annual concert—will continue to support the Center’s operations. There are opportunities for volunteers to work alongside professional staff to serve the Center’s clients.

To learn more about the Memory Care Center, please call 760-836-0232.

Nursing Scholarships

Providing support for nursing education has been a priority for the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary since 1975, when an Auxiliary member made a generous donation to fund continuing education for nurses employed at the hospital. Once that gift was exhausted, the Auxiliary assumed responsibility for ongoing fundraising to support this important initiative.

The results have been impressive.

To date, the Auxiliary has awarded more than $1 million in scholarship aid to deserving recipients, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Currently, the Auxiliary grants about a dozen scholarships a year. Recipients are chosen based on financial need in consultation with Eisenhower’s chief nursing officer.

The scope of the program also has expanded. Today, any Eisenhower employee who is enrolled in an accredited nursing degree program (even if they’re not yet a nurse) is eligible to apply for a scholarship.

In addition, one scholarship per year is awarded to a junior volunteer who is graduating from high school and has been accepted into a medically related program.

A portion of proceeds from the Auxiliary’s retail operations, including Collectors Corner and the hospital’s Dolores Hope Gift Shop, helps to fund the scholarship program.

Want to know more about the nursing scholarship program? Simply call 760-895-7687.

Gift Shop

The Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary Gift Shop not only raises funds to support Eisenhower programs and services, it also raises spirits among patients, visitors and hospital employees. In fact, hospital employees are the shop’s most frequent customers!

Newly designed and built by the Auxiliary in 2021, the beautifully appointed shop in the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Pavilion carries a surprisingly plentiful array of merchandise in its 180 square feet. This includes greeting cards, giftable items such as stuffed animals, shawls, robes and slippers, reading glasses, sundries, jewelry, perfume, balloons and flowers (which can be delivered to a patient’s room), and sweet and savory treats.

Operated by the Auxiliary, the gift shop is 90 percent staffed by volunteers. The shop’s hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Net proceeds from the gift shop—which average more than $60,000 per year—support various Eisenhower initiatives including the Auxiliary nursing scholarship program.

If you’d like to learn more about the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary Gift Shop, including its volunteer opportunities, simply call us at 760-837-8118.

Art Gallery

Over the years, Eisenhower Health has received hundreds of pieces of valuable artwork bequeathed by donors or gifted during their lifetime.

Recognizing an opportunity to have this artwork see the light of day and raise funds for Eisenhower, the Auxiliary has launched a fine art gallery where collectors, interior designers or anyone who appreciates works of art and beautiful things can purchase these donated pieces. The proceeds will benefit the new Eisenhower Memory Care Center slated to open in 2025.

The artwork on display includes original paintings in a variety of media, etchings, serigraphs and sculptures. The inventory will continually change as new donations of artwork are received. Also on view at the gallery (but not for sale) are a golf cart that belonged to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a replica of his World War II-era Jeep and other historical items.

If you’d like to visit the Eisenhower Art Gallery, it’s located at 71550A Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage, less than a mile from the Auxiliary’s popular Collectors Corner. Staffed by volunteers, it’s open by appointment only.

If you are interested in supporting Eisenhower Health through the donation of fine art (donations are tax-deductible), please contact us at 760-895-7687.

How to Get Involved

If you’d like to be a force for good, the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary would love for you to be involved with our organization. Here’s how:

Join the Auxiliary

Your membership supports the many projects that benefit Eisenhower Health and our community. As a member, you’ll receive our quarterly newsletter, invitations to the annual meeting and special events, and discounts at Eisenhower’s gift shop, Collectors Corner, and hospital cafeteria and snack shop. You can join at one of three levels:

• Active member: $10 annual dues
• Contributing member: $35 annual dues
• Lifetime member: One-time payment of $150 (no annual dues). For an additional payment of $100 annually, you also can join the Five Star Century Club.

Donate

Your gift to Eisenhower, in whatever amount, makes you a champion for excellent health care here in the Coachella Valley. In fact, Eisenhower simply cannot deliver great medicine without your help. So please consider us in your decisions about charitable giving.

Be a force for good. Get involved with the Eisenhower Dolores Hope Auxiliary. For more information, call us at 760-895-7687 or email at Auxiliary@EisenhowerHealth.org.

Auxiliary Governing Board

The Auxiliary’s governing board leads the organization in its mission to advance the aims and objectives of Eisenhower Health. From determining the most appropriate programs and fund-raising initiatives to undertake, to providing financial oversight of the budget, to guiding the organization toward achieving its goals, the board plays a vital role in the Auxiliary’s viability and impact.

Board members are elected annually to leadership terms and positions. They contribute their time and talents in a variety of ways, including:

• Participating in fundraising events
• Accepting committee assignments
• Attending regularly scheduled board meetings
• Volunteering specialized skills such as grant writing, event planning or social media marketing

If you’re interested in being considered for the Auxiliary’s governing board, please contact the Auxiliary’s office at 760-895-7687 or email at Auxiliary@EisenhowerHealth.org.