Beebe volunteer Beth Joyner receives Jefferson Award

Beebe Medical Center volunteer Beth Joyner, left, was surprised recently by WBOC reporter Lacee Griffith and a news crew outside Beebe Medical Center's Sunshine Cafe. They brought the news that Joyner was being honored with a Jefferson Award in recognition of her unselfish commitment to the citizens of Delmarva.

“Beth is the epitome of what the word ‘volunteer’ means,” said Lee Halloran, manager of Volunteer Services at Beebe Medical Center. “She gives of herself and goes above and beyond. She is there whenever we need her and gets great satisfaction from the work that she does.”

Joyner has given her time and commitment to many in Sussex County. She and her husband, Ed Joyner, who live in Millsboro, retired from the Sussex County Court System. For the past two years, Beth has been a volunteer patient transporter with the Patient Escort Department.

“She has given Beebe Medical Center about 550 hours in the last two years,” Halloran said. “This year alone, she has given 340 hours.”

Besides volunteering at the hospital, Beth volunteers one day a week at Gull House, Beebe Medical Center’s adult day-care center, where she helps with the activities and works with the clients.

“She’s wonderful,” says Gull House Activities Specialist Melissa Mallet, ADC, CDP. “She is a person that loves to work with people.”

Beth also volunteers as a greeter at Tunnell Cancer Center, and with a literacy group that reads to the day-care children at Beach Babies in Lewes. In August 2011, she joined Team Beebe at the Extreme Makeover project.

Several Beebe team members attended the surprise presentation that took place in the Sunshine Café. Special guests included the Rev. Chris Moore, priest and associate pastor at the Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church and Saint George’s Chapel of Rehoboth, and his wife Janice.

“I’ve known Beth since I came to All Saints' six years ago,” Moore said. “She is an active member and is dedicated to public service.”

Each year, WBOC presents Jefferson Awards to Delmarva citizens who have gone unrecognized as they provide extraordinary public service. The station recognizes 10 people a year. The story about Beth and her award, as well as an interview with her, is available on http://www.wboc.com during the first week of January. It was also scheduled to air on televised WBOC news shows Dec. 31 through Jan. 4.

Beebe Medical Center has an active volunteer program. Today, there are more than 600 volunteers, including 252 auxiliary members, who regularly give their time to support the medical center and its patients.

In 2012, these committed individuals together gave more than 75,000 total hours of their time.

“This is an extremely giving community,” said Halloran “We are blessed to have so many volunteers dedicated to Beebe Medical Center.”