Pink Ladies’ immeasurable contributions

  • Pictured from left to right are Mary McQuillen and Nancy McNease of The Pink Ladies. They are holding handmade items available at Pink Hearts Gift Shop at the Yoakum Community Hospital.
    Pictured from left to right are Mary McQuillen and Nancy McNease of The Pink Ladies. They are holding handmade items available at Pink Hearts Gift Shop at the Yoakum Community Hospital.

    For nearly a century, a group of locals united by pink uniforms and a passion for serving their community has dedicated themselves to advancing the Yoakum Community Hospital (YCH).

    The YCH Auxillary— typically called “The Pink Ladies” because of their rosy attire— is an organization of volunteers that has raised funds to help provide the hospital with state of- the-art equipment and scholarships for nurses looking to obtain licenses.

    The ladies have contributed more than $70,000 to the YCH since 2010 with funds raised through the Pink Hearts Gift Shop near the hospital’s front entrance, spring and summer prize drawings, and bake sales.

    Yoakum’s Pink Ladies’ roots date back to the 1930s, with about 200 members who raised money for oxygen equipment, instruments, and various hospital supplies according to YCH’s website. Although the auxiliary has shrunk to about 35 current members, the ladies’ dedication to serving the hospital is as strong as ever.

    “It’s really my duty to the community,” said 2021 Pink Lady of the Year Mary McQuillen. “I have always lived here. I love Yoakum; I want to support everything in Yoakum.”

    McQuillen delivers copies of the Yoakum Herald-Times, The Shiner Gazette, and the Victoria Advocate to the hospital  for patients each Wednesday She has volunteered with the organization since the late 1990s and has provided countless handmade quilts, embroidered towels, and other items sold for the hospital’s benefit.

    At least one Pink Lady at a time operates the Gift Shop, which is typically open on weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Gift Shop features handmade craft items, jewelry, toys, baby items, sodas, standard convenience store items, and more.

    “I tell everybody when they come in the Gift Shop (that) it’s guilt-free shopping because we are volunteers; everything goes back to the hospital that we can spare,” explained YCH Auxillary Treasurer and Gift Shop Manager Nancy McNease.

    In the last decade, the organization has contributed $25,000 towards mammography machines, most of which went towards 3D mammography equipment.

    “That means that women do not have to go to Victoria, San Antonio, or Houston; they can come right here in the community to get state-of-the-art diagnostics that can help their health,” McNease said.

    While there is no lack of motivation to continue serving the hospital from within the group, members explained recruiting new volunteers has proven to be a considerable challenge for the organization since the pandemic-related lockdowns. “We hope to appeal to people who will have new ideas on how we can thrive and grow,” said McNease. “There are some communities who have lost their local hospitals, so this is a treasure.”

    The organization will aid in the 100th anniversary of the hospital in May. Uniforms, badges, and other memorabilia will be displayed at the Yoakum Heritage Museum starting May 12.

    For more information, contact the Gift Shop at 361-293-2321 ext. 126.

    “I hope we continue to be strong, grow and prosper. That’s what I hope,” said McQuillen. “That is what we want to do right here in Yoakum.”