Employees of the Dallas County Hospital in Perry shared the holiday spirit of giving this year through several outreach programs to the community.
Each ornament on the hospital’s annual DCH Giving Tree represented an underprivileged child in Dallas County. DCH employees purchased gifts for 50 children from 20 different families, and the tree was cleared of ornaments in just two days.
Hospital employees then engaged in a friendly competition to see who could collect the most items for the local food bank. Employees formed two teams — the Reindeer and the Snowmen — and their combined efforts brought in nearly 300 items for the food bank at the New Opportunities Dallas County Family Development Center in Perry.
The Toys for Tots program was the third object of DCH employee generosity. Any employee who donated $5 to Toys for Tots could wear bluejeans on every Friday in December. More than $160 was collected and donated to the program bringing toys to low-income children.
“I am so proud of our employees,” said Donna Vandehaar, DCH interim CEO. “They understand the importance of giving back to those we serve, and they continue to take on this spirit of giving – extending the caring and compassion they show for our patients each day to all of those in the communities we serve.”
The DCH employs about 160 people, according to a recent study by the Iowa Hospital Association.
