The Gift Stop’s mission is to provide caring service to patients, visitors, faculty, staff, students, and volunteers with all proceeds to benefit UF Health and the University of Florida Academic Health Science Center.
Since its formation in 1980 as a nonprofit corporation by the Medical Guild and other founding partners, the Gift Stop has generated and distributed over $4.2 million dollars in net profits for these partners. The Guild’s share of the profits is directly related to the number of hours Medical Guild members volunteer in the shops and serve on its Board of Directors. These profits allow the Guild to fund the following UF Health projects:
- Awards, Endowments, and Scholarships
- Special Project Grants (UF Health only)
- Continuing Projects
- Special Gifts
In 2013, the Board of Directors contracted Lori’s Gifts, Inc. to direct daily shop operations. The store inventory includes an ever-changing array of unique gifts, including Gator items, flowers, balloons, snacks, jewelry, and everyday necessities. In December 2017, our third shop opened at the UF Health Heart & Vascular hospital.
Volunteers
Volunteers have played essential roles in the daily operations and policy setting from the first day the shop doors opened in 1980. Today, as then, volunteer hours translate into our share of the annual net profit.
Reasons to volunteer at the Gift Stop:
- More volunteer hours = larger share of the profits
- 20% (or more discounts)
- Generate guild revenue
- Spend time with old and new friends
- FREE parking and flu shots
- Learn new skills
- Spend time helping others
Volunteer Hours & Dollars (earned July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023): 3,020 hours and earned $49.73 per volunteer hour.
A check for $150,202 was presented to the Medical Guild in November 2023. This money earned from volunteer hours supports the Guild’s philanthropies at UF Health Shands.
