Volunteer Profiles 
The Volunteer Auxiliary at Monument Health has been valuing patients for 50 years. Bonnie Martley brings a unique perspective to the value of volunteers — as one herself and as a patient.
At any given time, approximately 150-200 people are serving the patients and caregivers of Monument Health as part of the Volunteer Auxiliary at Rapid City Hospital. These loving people can be found running the hospital gift shop, helping patients navigate to and from appointments, working in the wig room at the Cancer Care Institute, cuddling babies in the NICU and much more.
Konnie Sorensen, Director of Volunteer Services at Monument Health, described how the Volunteer Auxiliary is all about heart. “I believe that people want to be involved with something bigger than themselves,” she said. “Our volunteers are the kind of people who have compassion for others and who want to be helpful.” The Volunteer Auxiliary is celebrating 50 years of this kind of passionate caring. Konnie and her team are honoring this monumental achievement with events planned throughout the year.
50 Years of Making a Difference
The impact that the Volunteer Auxiliary has on the patients and caregivers of Monument Health can’t be overstated. These acts of love can look as simple and intimate as giving a gentle hand massage to a patient in the oncology department, as fun as providing art kits to postpartum moms or as legacy-focused as raising and investing millions of dollars back into Monument Health.
The Auxiliary raises these funds through the operation of the gift shop and other fundraising ventures. In fact, since 1974, the Auxiliary has been able to contribute over $4.5 million toward programs, projects and specialized equipment.
The Volunteer Auxiliary touches the lives of practically every patient at Monument Health. These friendly faces can be a bright light to many of these patients and their families. Maybe the person with one of the deepest understanding of how impactful this shining light can be is Bonnie Martley.
Bonnie served as an administrative assistant at Monument Health — first in the OB Department and later in the Dialysis Department. After she retired, she joined the Volunteer Auxiliary and served as a wayfinder for about the last seven years. Wayfinders help patients navigate from appointment to appointment. “What I’ve learned is that a person who walks through the door — even if you don’t know their medical condition — will find that your smile or a kind word means so much to them,” Bonnie said. She also has served on the board of the Auxiliary.
Perspective
Bonnie has a unique perspective — she’s experienced the Volunteer Auxiliary as a caregiver, a volunteer and as a patient. “The very first day I was diagnosed, I bumped into Konnie. She said, ‘Bonnie, I didn’t expect to see you here today.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.’ She just hugged me while I cried, and I wouldn’t have had that if it wasn’t for the Volunteer Auxiliary.”
That simple but profound act of love set the stage for Bonnie’s journey of battling breast cancer. “Once I was diagnosed, it was a whirlwind,” she said. “They give you what’s called a cancer navigator, and I don’t know what I would have done without her.” A cancer navigator is a registered nurse who helps patients at the Cancer Care Institute keep track of their appointment times and locations. “I mean some days I’d have five appointments in one day, and my navigator kept me on track,” Bonnie said.
A cancer navigator also has the vital and precious role of helping patients navigate the roller coaster of emotions that go along with their treatment. “There were days when, say, the pathology came back and that news caused you to fall apart. My navigator would tell me to just breathe.”
The Next 50 Years
As a patient, Bonnie was gifted a cancer journal from the gift shop at Monument Health. She used this to chronicle her journey with cancer. The pages are adorned with photos of family supporting her, friends gathered to celebrate the end of her chemotherapy, caregivers who made a difference during her treatment and — like a beam of light — volunteers who offered comfort and grace to her during her journey.
“It made me realize how important volunteers are,” Bonnie said. “To be able to walk through the doors of the Cancer Care Institute — and you’re scared to death — and there’s somebody there with a smile asking you if they can walk you to your appointment. That’s when people open up. Maybe it’s just easier to tell a stranger your life story.”
The Volunteer Auxiliary has been creating these sorts of moments for 50 years, and these priceless volunteers will be present at Monument Health for another 50 years and beyond. “I’ll go back to the Auxiliary board next month,” Bonnie said. She’s also excited to return as a wayfinder because of this deeper appreciation for the powerful role that volunteers play at Monument Health.
“There are many different ways people can volunteer here, and they can commit as much or as little as they want,” said Konnie Sorensen, Director of Volunteer Services. The list of volunteer opportunities at Monument Health is so diverse that only a small percentage of the roles available are actually mentioned here. To explore all of the exciting ways to serve as a volunteer and to submit an application to join the Volunteer Auxiliary, visit monument.health/volunteer or scan the QR code above.