GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – As HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center marks 125 years of serving the Green Bay community, the spotlight isn’t just on the hospital’s history, but on the people who’ve quietly helped shape it.
From its earliest days, volunteers have played a critical role at St. Mary’s. The first written record dates back to 1910, when local women gathered to sew clothing for infants.
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Over the years, those efforts evolved from bake sales and charity dances to one of the largest volunteer-led hospital moves in city history.
That move, known as “Operation White Cap”, took place in 1960, when nearly 200 volunteers and more than 30 trucks helped relocate the hospital from Green Bay’s east side to its current west side location.
What was expected to take three days was completed in just five and a half hours — a testament to the dedication of the community.
Today, that legacy of service continues with Allen and Sandy Bandola, a retired couple who’ve volunteered at St. Mary’s for nearly 40 years combined.
Allen, a former teacher from New Jersey, found purpose in plant operations.
“I want to do something hands-on, so they put me in plant ops,” he said. “From my understanding, I’m the only plant ops guy.”
Allen’s tasks include collecting batteries, maintaining supply closets, and ensuring the hospital remains well-stocked and up to code.
“Otherwise, I’d be at home sitting in front of the TV,” Allen added. “It gives me a lot to do. It gets me out of the house and gives me people to talk to.”
Sandy, who manages the hospital’s gift shop, started volunteering after Allen got her out of the house.
“I do merchandising, sometimes help with the buying, change the mannequins, and make sure people come in when they’re supposed to,” she said. “I love people, and I want to give back. St. Mary’s is just like a family.”
The two have found not just something to do, but something to care about.
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“There’s a tradition here of over 125 years,” said Mary Ann Brunette, Volunteer Services Manager for HSHS. “St. Mary’s has always relied on people willing to roll up their sleeves and help. From the volunteers who moved the hospital across town, to the ones who show up every week to run the gift shop or stock supplies, their impact is real.”
As St. Mary’s celebrates more than a century of care, it also celebrates those who have helped make that care possible, people like Allen and Sandy Bandola, who prove that giving your time can make a lasting difference.
