Buck named top state volunteer

She’s only been volunteering locally for the past five years, but Deb Buck is already earning praise on the statewide level.

Buck has received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Minnesota Hospital Association for her work with the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary.

“It was a total surprise to me,” said Buck. “I didn’t even know that I had been nominated.”

She began volunteering at the Owatonna Hospital’s Coffee and Gift Shop in 2019 after a 36-year career of leading customer service teams. Since then, Buck has co-chaired the organization’s annual Festival of Tables, which over two years has raised $32,000 in scholarships for 17 Steele County students pursuing health care careers.

After taking over as president of the Auxiliary earlier this year, Buck has been focusing on restoring the organization that has suffered since COVID-19. The Auxiliary once boasted 200 volunteers, but it dropped in half after the pandemic.

Since April, Buck has recruited 10 new volunteers and has another six to eight in the pipeline, which will hit her goal of 15% increase this year. Buck said she has changed the entire process for volunteering by enhancing promotional and recruitment efforts to make it easier for people to jump onboard. She has also updated systems and processes, mentored other volunteers and formed groups to help members understand how their gifts and talents could support unbudgeted hospital needs.

Buck said she relies on other volunteers to help grow the organization. “I keep telling our members we are our own best advertisement,” she said, adding it resonates more than anything with people when they hear others talk about how great it’s to volunteer.

Mary Parsons, volunteer coordinator with Allina Health, which operates the local hospital, describes Buck as a “strong leader, clear and concise in her instruction,” as well as “fair, compassionate and goal orientated.”

Parsons, who nominated Buck for the honor, added: “She has a ready smile and cheerful disposition that attracts others to her.”

Each year, 130 volunteers at the hospital provide more than 2,000 hours supporting patients and visitors and more than 12,000 hours fundraising for student scholarships and needed hospital items.

“Volunteers are an important extension of our care team and give so much to our patients and staff,” said Whitney Johnson, president of the hospital. “Deb is a model for what remarkable volunteerism looks like, and we are grateful she chooses to share her talents with us.”

Buck said her volunteer gig is like a part-time job as she donates about 40 hours per month. She was drawn to the Auxiliary because “the health industry has always intrigued me,” she said.

“I came from a customer service background, so I enjoy people and talking to them,” Buck said. She takes comfort in knowing she helps people during stressful times. “It’s about being able to listen to people and sometimes just being there to provide them with a smile.”

One of the Auxiliary’s major fundraisers of the year takes place next weekend, Nov. 1 and 2, when they will have the annual Holiday Bazaar at St. John Lutheran Church in Owatonna. “We’re very well known for our bazaar,” Buck said.

Buck said she took early retirement because she knew she wanted to volunteer. “To me it’s all about giving back,” she says. “I was raised in a home where my parents did a lot of volunteering. I get so much more back than the hours I give. We’re there because we want to be there.”

Though she has been honored on the state level, Buck said her work is far from being done. “I don’t feel like I’ve done enough yet,” she said.

Buck encourages others to consider volunteering with the Auxiliary. Anyone interested can go to www.allinahealth.org/owatonnavolunteer or call 507-977-2777.