Berlin Resident Frank Sweeney Receives M. Gertrude McCue Volunteer of the Year Award

Berlin resident Frank Sweeney and New Britain resident, Ted Duncan, are this year’s recipients of the M. Gertrude McCue “Volunteer of the Year Award.”

The volunteers donate their time and expertise to refurbish and repair donated medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility devices. These items are then made available to the public, through Hospital for Special Care’s Equipment Exchange program, at no charge. 

“These men volunteer their time to repair and rebuild medical equipment that would have otherwise been a new purchase,” said David Crandall, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Care. “By doing so, these volunteers provide a tremendous service to families for whom the purchase of this type of equipment would be a financial burden.”

Sweeney has been with the service since 2001. 

Duncan and Sweeney will join 23 other previous McCue award winners on a plaque displayed in the main lobby of Hospital for Special Care.

The “Volunteer of the Year Award” was launched in 1991 by Hospital for Special Care to posthumously honor M. Gertrude McCue, who dedicated more than 45 years of service, both as a patient-advocate and friend of the hospital.  “Gert” helped found the hospital’s Auxiliary in 1952, as well as its gift shop and thrift store.  Gertrude McCue was the wife of the late William D. McCue who founded the New Britain-based McCue Mortgage Company in 1949.  Today, the company is managed by their son, William J. McCue. Hospital for Special Care volunteers, who exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and the unwavering service that Gert McCue exhibited in her lifetime, are selected as recipients of the award each year.