St. Luke’s earns its stripes every day as an Eden Model Registry with programs that bring through our doors volunteers who span the generations. Engaging with people of all ages helps remedy the three plagues of aging identified by Eden: loneliness, helplessness and boredom. And this summer, as usual, students of all ages brighten St. Luke’s.
St. Luke’s partners with the University of Arizona MedStart program that completed its fifth year in July. The students played games with the Elders, organized donations to Goodwill, washed the St. Luke’s van and hosted a pizza party for the Elders (pictured above). The program serves students who have completed their junior year in school, providing first-hand experience in a range of healthcare-related fields.
Three young adults (Abby pictured top left) from Goodwill Industries Youth Employment Program are working this summer at St. Luke’s as part of a jobs-skill-training program. And St. Luke’s welcomes for the first time this summer participants from the Pima County Youth Employment program (Chezi pictured top right) who are staffing the front desk, helping with office work and lending a hand in the kitchen.
A special thanks to all of these wonderful individuals who bring such joy and helping hands for St. Luke’s and the Elders.
Elders Keep Up with Politics at St. Luke’s
St. Luke’s Elders are excited about two July events at St. Luke’s that will keep them up-to-date on today’s political scene. Representatives from the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson will be at St. Luke’s on Thursday, July 18, providing the opportunity for Elders to register to vote, change their address or select a mailed-in ballot.
On July 23, all four candidates for Mayor of Tucson were invited to attend the St. Luke’s for a Meet and Greet, and we are thrilled they all accepted! We are also grateful to the AARP-Arizona Office for sponsoring catering for the event, which will be prepared, of course, by our own amazing culinary team. In addition to our Elders, guests will include members of the Elder Alliance, the Feldman Neighborhood Association and the Salome Christian Church.
Please join us! Candidates, pictured above from left, Randi Dorman (D), Steve Farley (D), Regina Romero (D) and Ed Ackerly (I). Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet the candidates!
Rio: An Ambassador of Awareness for St. Luke’s
If you ever wondered who deserves the award as Ambassador of Awareness for St. Luke’s, look no further than our own resident Black Lab: Rio!
Tucson’s Ward 3 Council Member Paul Durham recently toured St. Luke’s with Linda Hollis and Sally Krommes. In his newsletter, Durham reported on his visit and described how impressed he was with the beauty, dignity and respect he witnessed that are “central to St. Luke’s Eden philosophy.”
Durham noted in his newsletter: “Perhaps my favorite example of the Eden model at work at St. Luke’s is the house dog Rio. Rio dutifully followed me on my tour. The only places he’s not allowed are in the kitchen and dining room (and he stopped at the entrance to the dining room when following me on the tour), but besides that he roams free and lives full-time at St. Luke’s.”
Thank you, Rio, for all you do as St. Luke’s best Ambassador! We love you!
Special Thanks to Our Generous Donors!
Please accept our sincerest thanks to the many of you who generously donated in support of St. Luke’s Home to help us end our fiscal year with a boost. As you know, St. Luke’s Elders pay what they can to live in our community, but the average gap between what Elder’s pay and the actual costs of housing, food, recreational activities, and care is approximately $10,000 annually.
Please know that your support helps our low-income Elders live in a place of beauty, safety and dignity. From all of us at St. Luke’s: Thank you!
Happenings at St. Luke’s Home
Mark Your Calendars
Elder Fraud Presentation: Tuesday, July 16, 10 AM by AARP Representative at St. Luke’s.
Voter Registration: Thursday, July 18, 1PM – 3PM, League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson at St. Luke’s
Mayoral Candidates Meet & Greet: Tuesday, July 23, 5:30.PM-7 PM at St. Luke’s.
Your donations to St. Luke’s Home are deeply appreciated and easy to do. Click on the donate button pictured above to make an on-line donation that supports the mission of St. Luke’s Home.
