Founded in 1965 by the late Senator Cecilia Cruz Bamba, the Guam Memorial Hospital Volunteers Association (GMHVA) is a nonprofit organization of dedicated people who, through their gift of time, talent, and personal interest, supplement the professional hospital staff in caring for the comfort and welfare of the patients, personnel, and visitors to the hospital.
Since its inception, the GMH Volunteers Association has provided Guam Memorial Hospital, Guam’s only public hospital, with continuous support services as well as millions of dollars worth of medical equipment, hospital furnishings, and assistance.
In turn, GMHVA’s work is largely supported through the generosity from Guam’s businesses, civic organizations, government leaders, the medical community, as well as friends and families of the volunteers. Their contributions greatly help GMHVA raise funds to purchase much needed medical equipment, furnishings and supplies, as well as transport vehicles for the hospital.
Ladies in Pink
According to longtime volunteer Margaret Jones, Cecilia Bamba organized the GMHVA among a group of her friends. They met and established their bylaws, volunteer hours, and even their pink pinafore uniforms, modeled after the Academy of Our Lady of Guam uniforms. Bamba’s son, former Senator George Bamba, Jr., recalled that it was his mother’s desire to give back to the community that compelled her to found the organization. Believing the women of Guam were the most sensitive to the needs of the community, Cecilia Bamba brought women together to address the various needs of the hospital and its patients.
Their work brought them close to the people who came to the hospital for healing. Volunteers escorted mobile patients to their rooms, provided reassurance and words of comfort, and engaged with patients and their families to lift their spirits in often difficult circumstances. Over the years, the association grew, and volunteers donated countless hours in various projects of the GMHVA and organizing its signature events aimed at raising funds and inspiring the community to help the hospital.
Community fundraising
The Annual Charity Ball is the highlight of GMHVA’s yearly fundraising events. The first ball was held in 1965 at the Guam Recreation Center, which was located in Anigua. According to Jones, the theme for the ball was “My Fair Lady,” and everyone had to dress in black and white. Since then, each ball has had a different theme and fundraising goal, usually to raise money for equipment or bring awareness of the importance for the hospital to have the latest technology available to its doctors and patients. In 2025, GMHVA celebrated their 60th anniversary with the charity ball theme “Years of Grace and Giving: A Legacy of Caring, Compassion, and Contribution.”
Other fundraising projects, such as the Thanksgiving Raffle, Christmas bazaars, the Holiday Home Tours that took place from 1968 to 1998, and golf tournaments all helped to generate funds for GMHVA’s endeavors.
The hospital Gift Shop (which was founded in 1971) and the Gift Cart, wholly managed and operated by volunteers, both provide service to patients, families, visitors, and employees of the hospital. The Gift Shop and the Gift Cart provide a significant ongoing source of funds for GMHVA’s hospital projects, dedicated to the improvement of healthcare at the hospital.
Additionally, the Healing Tree is an ongoing project of the GMHVA that began in 2002 to inspire the community to help the hospital. The “tree” is a display at the hospital with gold colored “leaves” that are engraved with the names of businesses, organizations and other generous donors to the hospital.
Since its inception in 1965, the volunteers’ fundraising efforts have raised over $10 million dollars for the hospital.
Through their efforts, GMHVA fundraising has contributed to the purchase of patient beds, specialized ICU patient beds, operating room sterilization equipment, non-invasive ventilators, respirators, an ultrasound unit, life pack monitor/defibrillator sets, bariatric beds, transport vehicles, sleeper chairs, television sets, and EKG/EDG equipment. GMHVA also has helped find funds to send nurses for certification training or to help pay off hospital invoices.
Service and patient care
In addition to managing and operating the Gift Shop, GMHVA members assist in other areas. In earlier years, GMHVA members supported the community by taking baby photos and feeding newborns.
Today, GMHVA members continue to provide escort-errand services for patients and visitors as needed, and offer support by visiting and reading to patients, providing interpreter and translation services, helping visitors at the information desk, and through holiday caroling and gift-giving.
GMHVA volunteers are dedicated to providing patient care. These services include visiting patients, offering interpretation services for patients who do not speak English, providing comfort to sick children by reading books and playing games, manning the hospital’s information booth and directing visitors to the relevant wards, and providing assistance to hospital departments as needed. GMHVA volunteers with experience with cutting hair also support patients by providing hair grooming services.
Another critical service that GMHVA offers is the “Angels in Need” program, which was established in 2018 to provide financial support to families of gravely ill infants and young children at the hospital who are in need of life-saving medical treatments that are not available in Guam. The program fills an urgent need in the community by providing financial support for parents to accompany their children who are in need of off-island medical treatment. While off-island hospitals as well as Medicaid and other insurances offer assistance to finance the child’s treatment, there are no provisions in place to financially support parents to accompany their children off-island.
After a GMHA doctor determines that a child needs life-saving medical treatment that can only be provided off-island, a GMHA social worker can then evaluate and refer a family to the Angels in Need program to seek financial assistance. Through the Angels in Need program, the family is provided with funds for food and lodging, and emergency passports if needed. A total of up to $5,000 for one month is immediately provided so that the child can begin the life-saving treatment off-island with their parent accompanying them.
Bridging the hospital and the community
Founded to provide a bridge between the hospital and the island community, GMHVA has grown in membership. As of 2025 there are 133 committed volunteers of diverse backgrounds and skills, assisting and donating their personal time to Guam Memorial Hospital to provide the best possible health care for the community of Guam.
Now donning their signature pink vests, the volunteers continue to build upon the legacy through their work that was begun by Cecilia Bamba and the Founding Members. With their “prescription of love” they bring comfort to thousands of hospital patients and their families. What began 60 years ago as a helping hand for doctors and nurses has now become the heart of the Guam Memorial Hospital community.
GMHVA Founding Members
- Cecilia Bamba, Founder
- Delfina Guerrero
- Margaret Jones
- Eugenia Leon Guerrero
- Dinang Manibusan
- Clementina Perez
- Mariquita Souder
- Marian Taitano
1965 GMHVA Officers
- Honorary President – First Lady Delfina Guerrero
- Founder & President – Cecilia Bamba
- Vice President – Dinang Manibusan
- Secretary – June Untalan
- Treasurer – Ana Laguana
- Member at Large – Gloria Webster
- Member at Large – Thelma Graut
2025 GMHVA Officers
- Honorary President – First Gentleman Jeffrey Cook
- President – Terese Calvo
- Vice President – Daisy Sablan
- Recording Secretary – June Perez
- Corresponding Secretary – Beverly Lotz
- Treasurer – Felice Meeks
- Assistant Treasurer- Teresita Delos Reyes
- Member at Large – Aurea Fisher
- Member at Large – Rita Untalan-Guerrero
- Immediate Past President – Hilda Pellacani
GMHVA Presidents
- Cecilia Bamba, Founder, 1965
- Margaret Jones, 1966
- Doreen Hartzel, 1967, 1968
- Norma Nicolls, 1969
- Madeleine Bordallo, 1970, 1971
- Diane Pickens, 1972
- Roseanne Turnbull, 1973
- Elizabeth Lang, 1974
- Joan Holmes, 1975
- Rita Raker, 1976
- Doris Skouros, 1977
- Sandy Henroid, 1978
- Carrie Houlett, 1979
- Tita Souder, 1980, 1981
- Cheko Ando, 1982
- Hilda Pellacani, 1983, 1984
- Edwina Jose, 1985, 1986
- Rosa Carter, 1987
- Ann Muna, 1988, 1989
- Lee Hagerstrom, 1990
- Jackie Svitil, 1991
- Nicole Woo, 1991, 1992, 1993
- Censia Thompson, 1994
- Toni Gumataotao, 1995
- Rosemary Kissing, 1996
- Priscilla Muna, 1997
- Lina McDonald, 1998
- Priscilla Muna, 1999
- Betsy Teehan, 2000, 2001
- Bennett San Agustin, 2002, 2003
- Mae Quinata, 2004, 2005
- Evelyna Akimoto, 2006, 2007
- Dorothy Borlas, 2008, 2009
- Lulu Duenas, 2010, 2011
- Josephine Mesa, 2012, 2013
- Beverly Lotz, 2014
- Jenny Cruz, 2015, 2016
- Myrna Aquino, 2017
- Joyce Crisostomo, 2018, 2019
- Christine M.S. Calvo, 2020, 2021
- Toni Pecon, 2022, 2023
- Hilda Pellacani, 2024
- Terese Calvo, 2025
Guam Memorial Hospital Volunteers Association