Five area business owners helped find a cure for the gift shop at SSM St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. Each of them attended today’s grand re-opening ceremony to help “unwrap” the store.
The gift shop’s name, “Healing Presents,” also is new. It was selected to compliment the mission of SSM St. Joseph, which is: “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God.”
The gift shop underwent significant renovations during the past week. The glass windows and doors were covered while the renovations were being completed, and the shop was officially “unwrapped” during the ceremony.
“We’ve expanded our gift shop to provide even more unique and affordable gift items for our patients, employees and visitors,” Lisa Norwine, director of fund development for SSM St. Joseph. “We now have just the right gift you’re looking for – from crystal to designer jewelry, children’s gifts to collector’s dolls, inspirational gifts to seasonal items, and much more.”
“The community support for this project has been absolutely fantastic,” she continued. “We are pleased to be able to offer so much more in quality merchandise. We feel the entire community will really appreciate this expansion.”
Among the guests at the ceremony were five local merchants who gave of their time to assist hospital staff with the shop’s transformation, including Dana Rufkahr-Crenshaw, Golf Headquarters in O’Fallon; and Don Thebeau, The Flower Petaler; Jasper Noto, J Noto Fine Italian Confections; and Mary Fran Rash, Main Street Books all located along Historic Main Street St. Charles.
Thebeau assisted hospital staff by providing his design expertise to help reorganize the space to more adequately display stock items. The other vendors provided goods from their own stores, allowing the hospital’s gift shop to offer a wider variety of merchandise.
“This is such a good cause, and we are all happy to do what we could to help,” Rash said. “I think of this as my book store up the hill. There will be more than 100 books from my store on Main Street available for patients, families or employees who need an escape.”
Also in attendance during the re-opening ceremony was St. Charles County’s Director of Administration Steve Ehlmann, who signed copies of the book he published late last year, "Crossroads: A History of St. Charles County, Missouri.”
The gift shop is staffed by hospital volunteers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturdays; and, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Those interested in volunteering in the Healing Presents gift shop, or in any of the various areas available, should contact the Volunteer Department at 636-947-5466.
Proceeds raised in the gift shop are used to support the SSM St. Joseph Foundation, which provides financial support for special medical programs and improvement initiatives, such as assisting with the purchase and maintenance of sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment.
