The Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society has spent more than 50 years supporting healthcare and community services in Delta through volunteerism, fundraising, and one of Ladner’s most recognized thrift store operations.
By Robert Skinner | Delta City News | May 27, 2026
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For more than half a century, the Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society has quietly become one of the most important volunteer-driven organizations in Delta.
Long before Delta even had a full hospital facility, local volunteers were already working to help build community healthcare support services for residents. The Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society (DHAS) was officially formed in 1969 — years before the opening of Delta Hospital itself.
The original volunteer group helped support the creation of an Extended Care Unit and attached Emergency Room facility that would eventually grow into today’s Delta Hospital Campus of Care. When the acute care hospital officially opened in 1980, the Auxiliary’s role expanded alongside it.
Over the decades that followed, the organization evolved into a major fundraising and volunteer support system for healthcare services across Delta.
Today, the Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society describes itself as a “pillar of support” for Delta Hospital and the Campus of Care — an identity built largely through the efforts of hundreds of volunteers donating thousands of hours each year.
One of the defining features of the Auxiliary has always been its volunteer culture.
At various points over the years, the organization has operated with more than 400 volunteers contributing tens of thousands of volunteer hours annually.
These volunteers have helped operate several community-facing services including:
For many Delta residents, volunteering with the Auxiliary became more than community service — it became a social and community network built around helping others.
The organization also became deeply connected to local traditions and community identity. Many longtime volunteers remained active well into their senior years, creating strong intergenerational ties within the community.
While the organization is volunteer-driven, its financial contribution to healthcare in Delta has been substantial.
According to DHAS and healthcare auxiliary records, the Society has contributed well over $12 million — and more recent reporting suggests the total may now approach or exceed $20 million in support for healthcare equipment, patient care, and hospital-related programs over its history.
Those funds have helped support:
In more recent years, the Auxiliary has continued funding healthcare initiatives such as interactive therapy equipment for seniors and long-term care residents.
The organization operates as a registered charity and works closely alongside the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation and the broader healthcare community. It is also affiliated with the BC Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries.
Perhaps no part of the Auxiliary became more publicly recognized than the DHAS Thrift Shop in Ladner.
Located in the heart of Ladner Village, the thrift operation evolved into much more than a fundraising business.
The shop became:
The thrift business eventually expanded into multiple sections including furniture, clothing, and housewares.
Community donations became the lifeblood of the operation, while volunteers handled much of the sorting, pricing, merchandising, and sales work.
For many Ladner residents, shopping at the thrift store became part of weekly community life.
The Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society’s impact extended well beyond hospital fundraising.
Its operations created:
In many ways, the organization reflected an older model of community service — one built heavily around volunteerism, personal relationships, civic pride, and long-term commitment to local institutions.
That model helped shape the identity of the Auxiliary for generations.
Today, the Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society remains one of Delta’s most recognizable nonprofit organizations.
Its legacy is tied not only to dollars raised, but to the culture of volunteerism that helped support healthcare services throughout Delta for more than 50 years.
As Delta continues to grow and evolve, the organization remains part of the community fabric that many residents have relied upon for decades.
And while the Auxiliary now enters a new and changing chapter in its history, its long-standing contribution to Delta’s healthcare and volunteer community is difficult to overlook.
Watch for the next article on "The Ladner Thrift Store Challenges"
A Ladner-based business systems developer, Robert Skinner, leads Delta City News with a focus on delivering clear, relevant information for the local business and community landscape.
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