Published: October 28, 2009 04:52 pm      

Atwater named regional Volunteer of Year

Katherine Atwater, 97 years of age, has won the Volunteer of the Year award for 2009 for the Southeastern District of the AWVHA.

Atwater, for over 38 years, has consistently performed above and beyond her regular volunteer duties, according to a hospital official. For many years she volunteered eight hours a day at the hospital, performing superior quantity and quality of work. Katherine is a dependable and cooperative leader.

She was at the first meeting of the Montgomery General Hospital Auxiliary in May 1971. At that time, each member paid for his own uniforms and lunches. The volunteers took patients who had been admitted to the hospital to their rooms, got them settled, and stayed with them until a nurse came. They took all discharged patents out of the hospital.

There was no gift shop at the time, but two members would push a large wooden cart through all three floors, selling items. They had many bake sales and other sales to raise money for the hospital. Some Montgomery prisoners would do community service in the hospital under the supervision of the Auxiliary.

In 1983, Atwater had surgery for a brain tumor, which kept her side-lined for just seven weeks before she returned back to work.

Since 1985, she has arranged and hosted a monthly birthday party for the residents at MGH Elderly Care. Terri Dye, the activities director at Elderly Care, says that what Katherine does is a life-saver, and allows her to concentrate on other activities at the center. “She calls everybody and arranges everything for the party. It lifts a big burden off me,” Dye said.

As of 1989, Atwater was president of the MGH Auxiliary for a total of 10 years. Under her leadership, over $75,000 was donated to MGH, including $6,000 for work on a chapel.

Atwater has seven children, and lives in Boomer. She and her husband, T.Z., worked together many years before his death. Mr. Atwater was a member of MGH’s board of directors.

Katherine has been church clerk of First Baptist Church for over 60 years. She has been president of Montgomery Senior Citizens and works at the voting polls. She also writes a weekly column of community news in The Montgomery Herald. For years, she has knitted clothes and made quilts monthly for area residents. She is much loved by the community.

“We are unsure of the number of hours Katherine has worked, but we know they are well over 9,000 hours, more than any other volunteer. She is truly deserving of this honor and award,” the hospital official said.

Katherine and her husband have been the subject of many newspaper articles in The Charleston Gazette and The Montgomery Herald, our local newspaper.

“We want to recognize and honor Katherine, not only as a Auxiliary volunteer of an AWVHA member hospital, but as a member of MGH’s Auxiliary. She has made a significant contribution to volunteerism, and showing love to patents, residents, and friends. She is a loyal worker and friend.”