St Luke's Home Newsletter February 2021 CEO Report I hope you and your loved ones are well. St Luke’s Home is excited to announce CVS Health came to the Home on February 10, 2021 to administer the first round of the Moderna vaccinations. The second doses are scheduled for March 10, 2021, with an extra date on April 7, 2021 – just in case someone misses one of the previous dates.   Everyone is feeling well and excited to get the second dose. There have been several questions on when St Luke’s Home will be back to “normal.”  Firstly, I am unsure what “normal” will look like.  Secondly, I continue to sit on local committees with the Pima County Health Department, receiving weekly updates on the vaccination roll out…

St Luke's Home Newsletter January 2021 CEO Report Happy New Year, Friends! 2020 felt like the longest year on record because of the ongoing pandemic, but we made it through. It was tough for our Elders not to hug their loved ones regularly throughout the year and especially during the holidays, but they all remain free from the virus. We have missed our dedicated volunteers, but the staff continue to go above and beyond their normal duties to fill in the gaps as best we can. Without all the fundraising events, we saw some concerning financials, but our generous donors helped St Luke’s Home.  2020 was a year of patience, compassion, and fortitude, and we made it! In this issue, I hope you enjoy the article with our Best of 2020…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter December 2020 Holiday Greetings from the CEO Happy Holidays, friends. I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and enjoyed your Thanksgiving. For me, this time is for reflection and gratitude towards others. This year is no different; however, it puts things into a different perspective. As CEO, my foremost role has been to keep the Elders safe from COVID-19. With this decision has come many difficult choices. Love ones not being able to touch one another. Not being able to enjoy the familiar scent of one another or hear a clear voice without the static of technology. Sure we held a wonderful parade in May, the Hug Tunnel in August, and many telephone, video, and window visits. I truly understand it’s not the…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter November 2020   Halloween was a Spook-tacular Day! Elders and staff bonded over gobbling goodies, crooning tunes, and dizzy dancing at our Halloween Party this year, with Kidd Squidd as DJ and Selina the Head Chef as Captain COVID-Killer! It was a fiesta full of giggling ghouls, sweets, and superheroes, complete with lightsaber duels, Dracula vs Jason, and a poor piñata that did not survive the day.     University of Arizona Students Continue Supporting our Elders -- Zoom style! Over the years, the University of Arizona has remained one of St Luke’s Home’s most vital partners by enriching the physical and emotional health of our community. Typically, hundreds of faculty and students become part of our daily flow. It is a sight to behold when…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter October 2020   First Annual Silver Chef Culinary Competition Winner!  St Luke’s Home is proud to announce the WINNER of the first annual Silver Chef Culinary Competition, our own Selina Miramontes! It was a very hot afternoon as executive chefs added the final touches to their delicious hors d’oeuvres. The star-studded panel of judges tasted each offering, scored each dish independently, and commented favorably about the offerings. Viewers of this fine event were able to vote for the People’s Choice in Best Presentation, choosing Erich Border from the Hacienda at the Canyon as the winner. This year’s competing chefs were exceptionally talented and a number of them had over 20 years of experience. Thank you for your patience with the technical difficulties during the event.…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter September 2020 CEO Report I hope everyone is staying healthy. Once again, I am pleased to announce that NO Elder at St Luke’s Home has tested positive for COVID-19. Our early restriction policies and stringent cleaning practices have kept everyone healthy. On August 28, 2020, the Arizona Department of Health Services released COVID-19 Guidance for Visitation at Congregate Settings for Vulnerable Adults and Children. Although I am grateful for Governor Ducey’s Long Term Care (LTC) Task Force recommendations on reopening LTC communities and introducing face-to-face visits with loved ones, there continue to be questions about the recommendations. St Luke’s Home will continue to research guidelines and maintain all current practices while re-evaluating the recommendations weekly. At this time, due to the Pima County loosening restrictions,…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter August 2020 Congresswoman Kirkpatrick Recognizes St Luke’s Home CEO We all felt a surge of pride when our CEO, Linda Hollis, received the following letter which said, in part: “Congresswoman Kirkpatrick would like to recognize you as one of her heroes this week for all of the work you do as the CEO of St. Luke’s Home. We appreciate all of the hard work you have put into assisting low-income Elders with their living situations. We also acknowledge the amount of effort you have put into ensuring the safety and well-being of the Elders and the staff, despite the extra expense and financial stress it has put on the organization. We want to thank you for your diligence in studying the effects of the pandemic…