Adventist Health bids Christina Scrivner an affectionate farewell

Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Hospital hosted a gathering on Nov. 18 in the peaceful garden area west of the hospital in honor of Christina Scrivner as she stepped down from her Director of Philanthropy position. Colleagues and friends came together to show their respect and appreciation for her passionate and tireless years of service to the hospital and community.

When an attendee asked Scrivner's assistant Peggy Mendiburu if she would be replacing Scrivner, Mendiburu answered simply, "She's irreplaceable." This sentiment was shared by everyone in attendance. Claudia Baker, owner of The Loop newspaper, described Scrivner as a "class act."

David Butler, president of Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley, spoke first. "She wasn't just a philanthropist, looking for funds," he said. "She was a marketer, she was a social worker, she was a helper, she was an eye witness. She has a heart for service and ... she will continue serving this community in other different ways. I just want to thank her for giving us a piece of her life here and showing us what it means to live your heart, to live your faith."

When Scrivner got up in front of the audience, she said, "It's humbling to accept this experience because I know that I was the one who was blessed. I was, for the last four and a half years, able to be between the courage, faithfulness, dedication of our caregivers and the goodness and generosity of the community that wanted to be a part of their sacred work. And so I know that I was the one that was blessed to participate in your lives and to do a little bit around the fringes to honor what our caregivers do, which is the real work, every single day. It was humbling and I count it a privilege to have been able to be approximate to all of you in this season of my life. And I'm still here. I will never lose my heart for the work of the team at Tehachapi hospital and fulfilling needs where I find them in our community. And so it's hard to accept this honor because I know that I was just in the middle of the beauty and telling their story to a community that wanted to be a part of that sacred work. So, thank you for being in my life and all the blessings you've given to me. And I hope everyone here knows that I intend to be a part of whatever good work we can continue to do together. So, thank you."

Scrivner took the next few minutes to thank people in the audience, starting with "the [Hospital] Guild in their beautiful blue smocks for their labor of love for 45 years.... They modeled what we're doing now, but they did it a long time ago, quietly, fifty cents at a time." She also thanked, "the Lyons Club members, South Street Digital, donors, vendors, partners, friends. Where there's work to be done, they're there. The media, The Loop, The EDC folks, the Dreyers, the Rotary ... and [the Milanos] who have given a transformative gift ... for a new outpatient pavilion for our community here." She concluded by humbly saying, "It's [you] that we should be celebrating today."

When asked what her plans are for the near future, Scrivner laughed and said, "I'll be home for the holidays."

We can't wait to see what she undertakes in the new year, but for now, we wish her a very happy holiday season with her family.