Allina Health volunteer receives Minnesota Hospital Association’s Volunteer of the Year award

[Allina Health Newsroom, October 15, 2024] Each fall, the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) recognizes outstanding work happening at Minnesota's hospitals and health systems. This year's MHA Volunteer of the Year is Allina Health’s Deb Buck of Owatonna.

After retiring in 2019, Deb began volunteering at Owatonna Hospital's Coffee and Gift Shop. She co-chaired the Hospital Auxiliary’s annual Festival of Tables event, raising $32,000 in scholarship funds for 17 Steele County students, and now serves as Auxiliary President. Her focus now is promotion and recruitment as Auxiliary membership declined due to the COVID pandemic.

In an interview with the Owatonna People’s Press, Deb remarked “I get so much more back than I feel I even put into it, because it’s such a sense of gratification.”

"Volunteers are an important extension of our Care Team and give so much to our patients and staff," noted Whitney Johnson, Allina Health Owatonna Hospital president. "Deb is a model for what remarkable volunteerism looks like and we are so grateful she chooses to share her talents with us."

Each year, 130 volunteers provide more than 2,000 hours supporting patients and visitors at Owatonna Hospital and more than 12,000 hours fundraising for student scholarships and needed hospital items. Read more about Deb and her recent honor in Owatonna People’s Press (Subscription required).