A staff of about 20 volunteers assist customers and stock the merchandise. Events and special offerings create a fun atmosphere at the Gift Shop year-round.

What do you believe sets your business apart?

The LMH Health Gift Shop is a special place inside the Main Campus at LMH Health. The shop provides an opportunity for patients, families, staff, and community members to find gifts and holiday items inside a unique, welcoming space.

The LMH Health Gift Shop offers a wide range of name brands including: Fahlo animal bracelets, Vera Bradley purses, Silver Forest earrings, Baggalini purses, Woodwick candles, Willow Tree figurines, Wind & Willow dip mixes, and more!

The Gift Shop operates with about 20 volunteers that assist customers and arrange merchandise. There is a full-time Gift Shop Manager/Buyer, along with a part time Gift Shop Coordinator. This dedicated group of volunteers and staff are what makes the LMH Health Gift Shop a distinctive spot to visit.

The shop itself is also special. It has a rich history with the sole purpose of the shop to give back proceeds to the hospital. As of today, the Gift Shop gives back about $80,000 per year to the LMH Health Foundation and hospital, a combination of salary reimbursement to offset the costs of the staff, as well as a large gift to the Foundation. These proceeds donated each year are used by LMH Health to continually improve the patient experience with building renovations, new technology, and updated equipment.

How does it feel to earn the “Best of Lawrence” title?

To receive the “Best of Lawrence” title is an amazing honor and reflects on the incredible hard work of generations of volunteers that have given their time to this shop. The Gift Shop is constantly transforming–from what type of merchandise we offer to how the store is arranged and decorated. Our volunteers give thousands of hours each year to support our shops, sharing their time and talents to create a positive, caring, and fun atmosphere. The “Best of Lawrence” honor pays tribute to our volunteers’ commitment to creating a beautiful and welcoming space for all who enter.

The LMH Health Gift Shop features seasonal home decor items, fashion accessories, children’s items, and much more. Proceeds benefit the LMH Health Foundation and hospital.

Can you provide a brief overview of your business’s history, including its founding, initial goals and how it has evolved over the years?

The volunteer program as a whole started in 1957 by a group of 40 women that chartered the original LMH Auxiliary, designed to be a service auxiliary to provide services to hospital staff and patients. The original Gift Shop opened with the new hospital structure in 1977. It was small but proudly run by a group of Auxilians. Like today, all proceeds from sales were donated back to the hospital and used to purchase new equipment and furnishings.

In 1994, a new wing of the hospital was built and with it, an expanded Gift Shop was designed in the space it sits today. With the expanded Gift Shop, the Auxiliary (now called the LMH Health Volunteers) was able to increase their donation to the hospital. Over time, a Gift Shop manager and coordinator positions were added to help run the shop, with their salaries being reimbursed back to the hospital.

The hospital has of course grown over the years, expanding to communities throughout Douglas County. Our volunteer program as a whole has also grown, survived a shut down due to a pandemic, and is currently up to nearly 300 volunteers across the organization.

Over all of these years, the one constant is that the Gift Shop offers a friendly oasis to shop. Your dollar does more when you shop with us!

What does being an integral part of the Lawrence community mean to you, and how do you plan to continue contributing positively?

Being a part of the LMH Health organization means we connect with a wide variety of community members who are coming for their healthcare needs. Our volunteers are also community members, often times volunteering and working with other agencies in town. This close connection creates an incredible bridge between what we do in the Gift Shop and our community at large.

Whether it’s finding new gift items to carry in the store or participating in a city-wide event like the Sidewalk Sale, our close community connection encourages the Gift Shop to meet the needs of our ever-changing community.

The “Best of Lawrence” title often indicates a commitment to excellence in customer service. How do you ensure that every customer has a positive experience with your business?

The LMH Health Volunteers strive to engage with every customer walking in the door. Whether it is someone that just needs to take a break from the hospital setting or someone looking for a specific gift item, our volunteers are outstanding with helping in just the right way. Our goal is to provide a variety of gift items that give options for just about anyone you need to shop for.

The Gift Shop has a fun atmosphere throughout the year, with music, decorations, games, giveaways, samples, and other exciting events to engage community members and encourage those that have never shopped with us to give us a chance to impress them.

Could you share an example of how your business has embraced innovation to stay ahead of the curve?

Our new point of sale system has allowed us to be mobile! For the first time ever, we have the ability to go out into the community and set up a pop-up shop to reach more community members. So far, we have had two very successful pop-ups at the LMH Health West Campus and we plan to do another one at West on December 6. Looking ahead at next year, we hope to do more in different locations and for different events.

The new point of sale system has also allowed us to update our online shopping website. That will be available soon!

The holiday season is a festive time at the Gift Shop.

Are there any upcoming projects, events, or initiatives that you’re excited about and would like the community to know?

The holiday season is such a festive time of year, especially in the Gift Shop!

On Thursday, November 30, we will have our monthly Happy Hours event with extended hours. Every last business day of the month, the Gift Shop stays open until 7 p.m. to give more people a chance to shop with us later into the evening.

We will also have a HUGE poinsettia and Christmas cactus sale on Friday, December 1, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in front of the Gift Shop. All plants will be $20 each. This sale raises funds for the LMH Health Volunteers to provide scholarships to local high school students pursuing a career in healthcare.

On Wednesday, December 6, we will hold a special “Plinko Preview” at the LMH Health West Campus. This pop-up shop will give West employees, patients, and West Lawrence residents a chance to shop and win additional discounts playing Plinko!

After that, every Friday in December will be Plinko Friday, with a chance to play and get 20, 30, or 40% off your total purchase.

We hope to see our community come join us for a very merry holiday season in the LMH Health Gift Shop!

How do you ensure that your business remains an inclusive and welcoming place for customers of all backgrounds?

At the LMH Health Gift Shop, all people are welcome and we hope everyone that walks through our door feels like they belong. Our Gift Shop Manager, Cindy Kruger, does an outstanding job finding a variety of merchandise so there is something for everyone. Our volunteers have amazing customer service and strive to help everyone with their needs.

We are also mindful of our patients that shop with us, particularly those that use a wheelchair, walker, cane, or need additional assistance. Our shop has a more open concept to allow for wheelchair access and reduce trip hazards as much as possible.

Left to right: Volunteer Services Supervisor, Shane Heiman; Volunteer Services Manager, Lauren Cobb; Gift Shop Manager/Buyer, Cindy Kruger; Gift Shop Coordinator, Jen Crowe

What long-term goals do you have for your business, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Ultimately, our primary goal is to recruit more volunteers to assist in the Gift Shop. Prior to COVID, the LMH Health Gift Shop was open in the evenings until 7 p.m. and on the weekends. Right now we are not able to consistently have these extended hours because we simply do not have the staffing levels to maintain it. With more volunteers in our ranks, we hope to expand our hours so we can be more accessible every day to staff, patients, and community members.

If you are interested in signing up to be a volunteer, please visit our website at www.LMH.org/volunteer. You can see our full list of volunteer opportunities and submit an online application to start the process. Questions about becoming a volunteer? Call Lauren Cobb, Manager of Volunteer Services at 785-505-3141.