For almost seven decades, the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Auxiliary has served as a beacon of caring and support for the St. Joseph’s Hospitals community. The Auxiliary’s work on behalf of the hospitals first began in October 1957 on the site of the original St. Joseph’s facility. A year later, the Auxiliary opened the first gift shop, now a centerpiece of the group’s fundraising efforts.

Reflecting their years of faithful service, St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation announced that the Auxiliary has donated $1 million to support the construction of St. Joseph’s new, freestanding pediatric facility, which will be named Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s. 

The Auxiliary’s history of volunteerism and service inspired a new generation of leaders to expand the Auxiliary’s legacy with the St. Joseph’s community. Jeff Settano, President of the Auxiliary, first became involved with the organization after retiring in 2018 when a neighbor recommended getting involved at St. Joseph’s.

“Throughout my time volunteering at St. Joseph’s, I have been amazed by the positive, unique culture at the organization. St. Joe’s is always focused on doing the right thing and making the most impact on the community. We are fortunate to see the direct results of our gifts through close relationships with physicians and staff,” said Jeff.

Tony Abbott, Treasurer of the Auxiliary, has a strong passion for the St. Joseph’s community. He became interested in volunteering with the Auxiliary after his son Andrew was treated by St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital for Hodgkin’s lymphoma by compassionate physicians, including Dr. Erin Cockrell.

“I was impressed by the breadth of contributions by the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Auxiliary when I first started volunteering. Our gift shop sales and fundraisers enable us to address critical needs within the hospital community. It has been very gratifying to increase the Auxiliary’s donations, including those to the Children’s Hospital,” said Tony.

The Auxiliary Board of Directors was deeply impressed by the plans for the new freestanding facility and knew that supporting the future of healthcare for Tampa Bay’s children was a priority.

“The new facility will help St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital expand the range of services offered and aid in recruiting top physicians. Our gift has motivated our volunteers and gives them the opportunity to see the impact of their work,” said Tony.

The Auxiliary relies on nearly 400 volunteers to manage their activities including running the gift shops, organizing specialty on-site sales and fundraising events of baked goods, scrubs, linens, jewelry, and books, and greeting patients and visitors at the main desk and waiting rooms. Auxiliary membership includes volunteers at four hospitals: St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital-North, and St. Joseph Hospital-South and the money raised supports projects at each facility.

Over the past decade, the Auxiliary has donated nearly $5 million to St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“The St. Joseph’s Hospitals Auxiliary has been a dedicated partner in our mission to provide exceptional care to the Tampa Bay community for nearly 70 years. This incredible commitment by the Auxiliary will ensure that our children have access to the best care, close to home,” said Kate Sawa, President of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation.

When the Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s opens in 2030, it will be a premier destination for pediatric health care throughout West Central Florida—uniting top medical specialists, cutting-edge clinical research, and compassionate, family-centered care in one state-of-the-art facility designed specifically for children and their families.