Through sales at its thrift shop on Bell Street over five-plus decades, the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild celebrated a milestone this month of giving more than $2.5 million to local medical and emergency efforts.
As tradition, the guild held its annual volunteer appreciation luncheon on Dec. 12 in Olympic Theatre Arts with food, drinks, games and more donations.
With more than 40 people in attendance, the core of the all-volunteer guild with a median age of women in their 70s still sees a few dedicated volunteers in their 90s who continue to help.
“This is a huge part of these ladies’ lives,” said Guild President Deb Carlson.
Her mom Virginia Peter, 94, is one of the handful of 90-year-olds who continue to volunteer, along with Darlin Beach, 90, who said she likes that donations and funds stay in the community.
“The ladies are wonderful,” Beach said. “It feels like a family. They keep me going.”
Donations help agencies
During the luncheon, Carlson presented $30,385 to four agencies, including $9,585 to Sequim Police Department, $8,000 to KSQM 91.5 FM radio station, $7,000 to Clallam County Fire District 3, and $5,800 to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.
The police department will purchase three automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for three new vehicles, and new AED pads and first aid supplies for the full fleet.
The radio station will replace an aged generator at its Blue Mountain station in case the Sequim station goes down during an emergency.
When “Sassy Susan” Sorensen with KSQM said she learned about the donation, she joked with the crowd that she “was speechless, and I’m not speechless very often.”
The fire district will use the donation for a Raizer Lift Chair to assist patients who cannot get up on their own accord.
Community Paramedic Mark Karjalainen said one person can safely lift a patient with no assistance, and they’ll use it to train care facilities to encourage them to purchase one of their own and to cut down on non-emergency calls to 911.
Other funds will be used to continue training for the ultrasound machine the guild purchased last year for the fire district to determine certain issues, such as the severity of their injury and if they should be transported for specialized treatment.
Volunteer Hospice will use the donation to help four support staff attend the Washington State Hospice Palliative Care Organization in Chelan, and to purchase volunteer training modules to better support patients and families.
In the spring, the guild also donates to other efforts, such as Peninsula College’s nursing program to help with scholarships.
Guild members vote on all requests for donations.
More about the shop
The Sequim Thrift Shop, located at 204 W. Bell St., is open from 10 a..m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday on the first and third weekends of each month starting in March. Volunteers accept donations, starting the new year in February 2026 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Monday and Tuesday.
For more about volunteering and the Guild, call 360-683-7044, email sequimdhg@gmail.com or find the Thrift Shop’s page on Facebook.
Guild Vice President Sandra Berryhill-Huish said they welcome estate donations and have a trailer available for pick-ups.
Donations Manager Randi Cooper said they’ve seen jewelry collections and silver sets donated through the years.
“We wouldn’t be in business without the community,” she said. “We wouldn’t have given two-plus-million without them.”
Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash Fire Chief Justin Grider with Clallam County Fire District 3, second from left, Community Paramedic Mark Karjalainen, and Capt. Kolby Konopaski speak with audience members of the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild’s annual volunteer luncheon about how the group’s annual donations support the fire district, such as to purchase specialized equipment and training.
“Sassy Susan” Sorensen with KSQM 91.5 FM radio, on right, accepts a donation from President Deb Carlson with the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild to replace an aged generator at its Blue Mountain station in case the Sequim station goes down during an emergency.
Randi Cooper, donations manager for the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild, presents Emma “Em” Hutchins, a founding member of the guild, with a basket during the group’s annual volunteer appreciation event.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Deb Carlson, president of the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild, presents a check on Dec. 12 for $9,585 to Deputy Police Chief John Southard and City Manager Matt Huish to help purchase three automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for three new vehicles, and new AED pads and first aid supplies for the full fleet.
Priya Jayadev, executive director of Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, right, accepts a donation of $5,800 from President Deb Carlson with the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild to help send support staff to a conference and pay for training.
