September 2018 Newsletter

 St. Luke’s Celebrates A Century of Service

The Reverend Julius Atwood in 1917 dreamed of opening a community care facility for tubercular patients in Tucson, Arizona. He set to work, engaged community members and transformed his vision into St. Luke’s Home.

Over the years, St. Luke’s changed to serve different populations in need: a shelter for men, a children’s clinic and today’s holistic assisted-living community that provides quality housing, care and lifelong learning for low-income Elders.

St. Luke’s has thrived thanks to the strong commitment of so many special people over the years: members of the Board of Directors, dedicated donors and the volunteer services of the Board of Visitors, which stands as one of the oldest female volunteer organizations in Southern Arizona.

Over the next eight months, we are excited to present a range of activities to celebrate this milestone! Please mark your calendars, and watch this space for details on additional events:

Oct. 28, 2018: The launch of a new publication by David Devine that chronicles the 100-year history of St. Luke’s, entitled:  The St. Luke’s in the Desert Story: A Century of Community Service;

Feb. 2, 2019:  A 5K Walk on the University of Arizona Mall, a community-wide, family event to honor our Elders, the many people of all ages who support St. Luke’s, and our bright future.

April 6, 2019: The spectacular 100th Baile de las Flores at the beautiful JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa.  Guests will enjoy a festive celebration in the spirit of the Baile’s rich history.  The evening will also honor the legacy of the Board of Visitors and promote the important mission of St. Luke’s Home.

Ruth Campbell:
The Faces of St. Luke’s Century of Service
 

In celebration of St. Luke’s 100 years, we are proud to launch monthly spotlights on several members of the Board of Visitors who volunteer their time, creativity and hard work to St. Luke’s. As one of our region’s oldest all-female volunteer groups, the BOV models the female volunteerism that boosts our region’s nonprofit economy while improving the lives of low-income individuals and families.

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Ruth Campbell has done it all at St. Luke’s over the past 30 years. She has served cake, called Bingo, chaired the Baile committee three times, headed the Board of Visitors three times, is a current member of the Board of Directors, staffed the front desk, hosted luncheons for Elders and staff in her home and driven Elders to beauty school to get their hair styled.

Ruth, without a doubt, is a woman of extraordinary energy, talent, intelligence and heart!

She first learned about St. Luke’s through Junior League friends, and joined the BOV officially in the late 1980’s when her daughter, then in high school, became a St. Luke’s volunteer.

In those days, St. Luke’s served low-income women and housed only about a third of the number in our community today. “Early on, when I started volunteering at S. Luke’s, it was very easy to form close relationships with the Elders because there were not that many and all were women. They were low- income but from all walks of life. We really got close, and I especially loved listening to their stories!” Ruth shared.

When asked how many hours she calculates she has volunteered over the years, she was quick to say the amount of time did not matter.  “To me,” Ruth explained, “the important part is you carry out the responsibility on behalf of the Elders. The bottom line is I want St. Luke’s to succeed and the Elders to be happy. St.Luke’s is a beacon in the community, a model holistic community that should be available for all Elders, no matter their income status, and I am proud to be part of its success.”

Service has always been central to Ruth’s life. A registered nurse, she has worked in hospital and community home health settings, taught clinical students at Pima Community College and worked as a public health nurse following high risk babies out of ICU.

In her early years at St. Luke’s, Ruth kept a diary. “I remember working the front desk,” she shared, “and I wrote that day in my diary, My gosh, if I had known how much fun this would be I would pay them to volunteer.”

Ruth embodies the female volunteer archetype: tireless support, a bountiful heart and an abiding belief in our shared humanity. Thank you, Ruth, for your enduring commitment to St. Luke’s Elders.

Makeover Magic for the St. Luke’s Van!

St. Luke’s van, which transports our Elders at no extra charge for shopping and other special occasions, had grown a bit worn and shabby from it years of service to St. Luke’s Elders. Not any more! 

Thanks to Raim & Associates, the vision of CEO L’Don Sawyer, and the financial support of the Board of Visitors, the van is now wrapped in a cover that matches St. Luke’s Report to the Community. A stunning, and highly  public display of the faces of our Elders, the beauty of our grounds and the pride and dignity that is central to St. Luke’s.

Today, we can all be proud of St. Luke’s expanded presence in Southern Arizona as expressed through our brochures, annual reports, op eds  and other communications. Upgrading and beautifying the St. Luke’s van is just one more critical way to extend St. Luke’s brand and spread the word on all St. Luke’s offers.