Pomerene Health Foundation’s Auxiliary announced on Nov. 3 that it will hold its 16th Annual Christmas Festival on the Millersburg campus, continuing a yearly tradition intended to generate support for patient care and community programs. The event, coordinated by Auxiliary volunteers, combines holiday activities with fundraising efforts aimed at bolstering services and outreach available to Holmes County residents.

The Auxiliary, a volunteer arm of the Pomerene Health Foundation, has built the festival into a local fixture over more than a decade. Volunteers organize holiday-themed activities on the hospital grounds, providing an opportunity for families and community members to gather while contributing to a charitable mission that directly benefits patients and local programs. Because the festival is hosted at the Millersburg campus, it also draws attention to Pomerene’s role as a community health anchor in the county.

Beyond its seasonal cheer, the festival carries practical public health significance. Funds raised through Auxiliary events support patient care initiatives and community programming that can fill gaps not always covered by insurance or government funding. In rural communities such as Holmes County, philanthropic support and volunteer-driven events often play a crucial role in sustaining services, health education, and outreach efforts. The Auxiliary’s work helps maintain programs that improve access to care and support residents who face barriers due to transportation, income, or social isolation.

The festival also fosters social cohesion and volunteer engagement, which public health research links to better mental health and community resilience. By bringing volunteers and neighbors together, the Auxiliary’s event promotes informal social support networks that can be especially important in rural areas where formal services may be limited.

At the same time, the reliance on fundraising events highlights broader policy concerns about how health systems finance community and patient supports. While volunteer-run festivals create valuable revenue and connection, they also underscore the ongoing need for stable funding to ensure equitable access to care and services across Holmes County. Community leaders and health advocates often point to such events as complementary to—but not a substitute for—sustained investments in public health infrastructure.

As Pomerene’s Auxiliary prepares for its 16th Annual Christmas Festival, the event functions on multiple levels: a holiday tradition, a volunteer-led community gathering, and a practical mechanism for channeling local generosity into health and social supports. For residents, attending the festival is both a way to celebrate and a direct contribution to the wellbeing of neighbors who depend on the services the hospital and its affiliated programs provide.