It is our pleasure to share the second in our series of holiday postcards:Know Who Needs You.Thanks to all of you for not looking away! Your support and generosity provide our Elders a year-long gift of dignity, safety, community and care for which they are all deeply grateful.
Meet Lois:
Two days each week, when you come through the front door of St. Luke’s Home, Lois’ smiling face greets you. Pictured above right with Sadie, high- school-volunteer extraordinaire, Lois’ kind and gentle ways are appreciated by all. You can often find her in the hall near the med room reading the Arizona Daily Star or in the dining room. No matter the time of day, her smile is always at the ready.
A native of Philadelphia, Lois has lived at St. Luke’s for five years. She worked for many years as a nurse in Philadelphia hospitals before moving to Tucson. Her husband, now deceased, was a photographer. “My husband also taught photography,” she shared, “And he made a point of supporting and training female photographers who did not have many opportunities in those days.”
Lois has a special place in her heart for the University of Arizona students who spend much time with our Elders as part of St. Luke’s partnership programming with the UA. Given her own medical background, Lois takes great pride in mentoring the students who come from a range of health-related disciplines. As pictured above left, Lois makes certain to not only mentor but also to befriend the UA students, many of whom have remained close with her over the years.
Lois’s heart has always been big. She spent 10 years and their life savings nursing her husband through dementia. St. Luke’s was one of her only options after her husband died. “This is my home,” she shared, “I am so grateful to have so many friends in my life thanks to St. Luke’s.”
Lois’ eagerness to volunteer at the front desk, occasionally provide tours of the home, and spend extra time with the UA students are a few of the ways Lois has dived into life at St. Luke’s. Like so many of our Elders, St. Luke’s may have been the only viable living option that offered a place of beauty, safety and mental stimulation, but it also surpasses all expectations as a true home and strong community.
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Thank you for your support of Lois and all the Elders at St. Luke’s, a 501 (c)(3) organization. Click here to help Lois and others at https://stlukeshometucson.org/donate/donate-online/ . And remember: For 2018, a married couple can donate up to $800 and an individual can donate up to $400 and receive the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. Contact your tax advisor on how to file.