Sharon Auxiliary to dissolve

SHARON -— There are institutions in any community that seem untouchable by the vagaries of the economy and social change. That, of course, is an illusion. When Sharon Hospital was converted into a for-profit entity in 2002, for example, that institution was changed irrevocably, yet saved from probable closure in the process.

At that time, the Sharon Hospital Auxiliary, which had been founded in 1912, was transformed into the Health Care Auxiliary (HCA), separate from the for-profit hospital and an independent 501(c)3 charity. Its board of directors carried on its mission of, according to a release from them this week, promoting health and well-being in the Tri-state area through educational programs  and providing direct funding for needed area services and financial support to aspiring health care professionals. 

As of Dec. 31, 2015, however, the HCA will be dissolved as a 501(c)3, and its services either filtered out to other organizations to manage or completely shut down.

The HCA has, in the 13 years since its inception, run the Gazebo Gift Shop at Sharon Hospital (which will continue under the management of Sharon Hospital); organized the annual Cancer Survivor Celebration (which will continue through the Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association); administrated health professional scholarships (which will continue through a fund at The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut in Torrington); and run the well-known thrift and vintage shop, The Bargain Barn (which will close after more than 50 years of operation). 

They also gave grants to a range of area health-care programs, such as hospice agencies, area counseling services, the Jane Lloyd Fund, Relay for Life, WeCanRow teams and individual emergency healthcare expenses incurred by area residents. 

HCA President Harriet Weiss sat down for an interview about the dissolution of the organization on Nov. 2 at The Lakeville Journal. Weiss has been president for almost 12 years, and noted that three of the four executive committee members of the board have served for more than 10 years.  

“I let the board know two years ago that I would be leaving in 2016,” she said, “so we have spent two years of thought to come to this conclusion.” 

HCA’s assets will be folded into the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, which will oversee scholarships and grants going forward from Dec. 31. 

Weiss said, “There are already nonprofits from the Northwest Corner that have funds with the Community Foundation, such as Chore Service, the Sharon Land Trust, the Sharon Woman’s Club and the Taconic Learning Center, among others. We believe the fund will be in good hands.”

The problem is that there just were not enough volunteers to take over and keep the services going as the current board members were ready to move on. 

“Succession planning efforts did not work, they fell short,” Weiss said. 

“It is sad and distressing to us that the Bargain Barn will have to close. It meant so much to the community. It is a place where people have come to look for a bargain, but it is also a social meeting place. I hope our supporters and friends will understand and support us in this change.”

Sharon Hospital has been the landlord for the Bargain Barn over the past 13 years, and Weiss said they have been a good one, “always there, wonderful, responsive. They had nothing to do with the profits from the Bargain Barn. They will now decide what will happen with the building. It will all be cleared out by Dec. 31.”

For those hoping to keep track of the closing process of the Bargain Barn, which is slated to be closed to the public by mid-December, further information will be forthcoming. Keep track of their plans at www.healthcareauxiliary.org, find them on Facebook, or call them at the store, 860-364-5202.