Our History
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Honoring our History
During the winter of 1919, a short time after the end of World War I, the WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AID ASSOCIATION was formed. This generation of women had seen the world around them change in ways unlike any before. Over 60,000 Canadians died in the Great War and, closer to home, nearly 3000 died in the Halifax explosion of 1917. Countless families were affected during this time by diseases of opportunity such as Tuberculosis and the 1918 Influenza outbreak. The Women’s Hospital Aid Association came together out of an obligation to public service:
“Service to an understanding that we are caretakers, caretakers responsible for the world as we shape it “
This group would later become known as the Saint John Regional Hospital Auxiliary (and more recently, The Brighten Group). The Auxiliary is rich in history that is permanently woven in the fabric of our community.
A New Era
The Saint John Regional Hospital Auxiliary has seen many changes in name and leadership through the years, but has always moved forward purposefully and progressively. In the past, the ability to support patient care and comfort was primarily derived from fundraising, donations and the dedication of volunteers and Auxiliary members. The opportunity to do more came in 1969 when the Auxiliary expanded to retail service offerings and opened “The Gift Case” on the main floor of the old General Hospital. The Gift Shop, as it is today, opened its doors as “The Auxiliary’s Old General Store” when the Saint John Regional Hospital was built in 1982. Since then, we have opened three new businesses: the Hair Salon (1990), the Uniform Shop (2005) and the Jewelry Box (2010).
Today, the Auxiliary goes by a different name – The Brighten Group. We’ve come a long way since 1919, but our commitment to our original purpose has never wavered: “Not for personal gain, but for public service”.