In times of need, a handful of citizens answered the call to support the community’s local hospital.

Volunteers that assist with operations at Sycamore Shoals Hospital were recognized Thursday afternoon for the tireless work within the community with a special luncheon offered inside the Pine Room located on the hospital’s campus.

Elizabethton native Dewayne Taylor, president of Ballad Health’s southeast market, handles the oversight of the facility and knows first hand about the work the individuals put in at Sycamore Shoals.

Taylor took time Thursday to provide an update on Ballad Health’s work within Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and commended the individuals for their hours provided.

“Their service to our hospital is invaluable,” Taylor said. “The hours that they volunteer, the information that they give to the community when they come in seeking their loved ones is just so invaluable. Today, the board approved over $11,000 worth of equipment that they’re going to buy and put back into the hospital. These volunteers give back anyway possible.”

Over the course of 2017, volunteers contributed over 6,000 hours to various projects with the hospital — which is the equivalent of almost three full-time employees.

One of the ways the volunteers are able to make an impact are raising funds through various sales, including $5 jewelry sales. They also provided unique items in the hospital’s gift shop, including Bare Minerals makeup, Kavu and Simply Southern.

Several volunteer opportunities are available locally for high school students up to adults.

“I would encourage anyone in the community that’s interested in being a volunteer to call Sycamore Shoals Hospital. Just ask for information and we can share with them how they can get involved. It is a very flexible schedule,” Taylor said. “There are many different things they can do to get involved, from manning an information both, reading to patients, working in a clinical area where they’re answering phones, the gift shop … there are many ways people can get involved.”

To learn more about the different volunteer opportunities available at Sycamore Shoals or other hospitals within the region, visit balladhealth.org/volunteers or call (423) 542-1300.