(4-18-25) Mercer Health held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of the members of the Volunteer Association of Mercer Health on April 14, 2025 at Romer’s Catering in St. Henry.

The evening began with an invocation delivered by Volunteer Chaplain Steve Broering and included a recap of the year by Volunteer Chairperson Terry Liette. Lisa Klenke, Mercer Health CEO, was the guest speaker for this year’s event.

The Volunteer Association also awarded two scholarships in the amount of $1500 to Cory Agler of Celina and Mya Knapke of St. Henry.

Deb Hemmelgarn, Director of MED Foundation and Volunteer Services, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the volunteers, stating, “We deeply appreciate the time and dedication our volunteers invest to support the community’s health. Their contributions are essential to the daily operations at Mercer Health.”

The Volunteer Association donated a total of 10,251.52 hours to Mercer Health in 2024. Additional awards distributed at the banquet included:

*     Most Hours to Date: Irene Seitz, 5,722.30 hours

*     Most Hours in 2024: Roy Kremer, 508.30 hours

*     5000 hours: Marge Niekamp

*     2000 hours: Phyllis Westgerdes

*     500 hours: Don Bellman, Mary Jo Bellman, Alan Diller, Barb Fisher, Mark Hubbard, Brenda Schoenlein

*     250 hours: Carol Beckman, Betty Bruggeman Lucy Bruns, Bernice Reichert, Noelia Rodriguez, Mary Lou Wenning

Mercer Health offers a unique variety of volunteer opportunities to match any interest and is currently accepting volunteer applications for their Coldwater and Maria Stein locations. Visit https://mercer-health.com/about/volunteer-services/ or contact Jenni Miller, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 419-678-5132 for more information.