In a memo sent to volunteers on Sept. 30, Nordeng addressed the question of whether the Auxiliary will have space after the proposed expansion. “There is also space identified for Medical Retail and a very visible coffee shop function,” the memo said. “The final role of the Auxiliary in either space is yet to be determined, but I believe the Auxiliary can have a role in both if open to new concepts.”

Nordeng said if the hospital expansion proposal is approved, construction on the cafeteria expansion would likely begin by December 2011. The plans include extending the cafeteria into the space the coffee and gift shop occupies. Therefore, the coffee shop would no longer exist as it is now; instead, a new coffee shop would be built near the front of the hospital.

“If the building project is approved, we cannot guarantee after that how long we’ll be in our current space,” Nordeng said. “If we go up front (with the coffee shop), we won’t be cooking meals. It just doesn’t fit in that space.”

“We want to make sure that if (members) vote no they won’t think they’ll be serving meals forever,” Nordeng said.

Nordeng also said if the hospital expansion is approved, AMC would have the first Mayo Clinic store outside of Rochester.

“It’s a much different retail setting than anything we’ve seen in Austin,” Nordeng said. “The volunteers within that space may have the potential for some retail kiosks. So it’s a different retail setting and a different retail model.”

Auxiliary President Margaret List said she will support whatever choice the volunteers make on Friday.

“I think that the information has been presented and whatever the vote is, we’ll go along with it,” List said.

List also said that many volunteers feel like the coffee shop is closing, but that is not the case.

“The main thing is that we’ve never talked about (the coffee shop) closing,” she said. “It has not been mentioned that we are going to close.”

Borchardt said she thinks many volunteers are opposed to the proposed changes because serving meals is part of the fellowship that happens in the coffee shop.

“I’m definitely against the change because that is a place where people come in not only to enjoy the good food, but to enjoy the fellowship offered to them,” Borchardt said. “We need to serve meals. We need to serve soup and sandwiches and casseroles. To me, the cafeteria won’t give the same type of fellowship.”

Deb Soderberg, coffee shop manager and Auxiliary member, feels like the proposed changes could be the beginning of the end of the Auxiliary.

“I’m sad to see the changes and I hope that it doesn’t force the Auxiliary to disband because all the girls and the couple of men are very hard, dedicated workers,” Soderberg said.

Soderberg is one of four paid staff who face layoffs with the upcoming vote.

“I don’t want to lose my job,” Soderberg said. “And I can’t afford to volunteer. It was a shock to me, I’ll tell you that.”