Family and friends of St. Luke’s Home showed up in large numbers on Sunday, October 28th for the official kick-off of the 100th anniversary of St. Luke’s in the Desert. The afternoon event, catered by St. Luke’s Home’s Melissa Hernandez and her talented staff, was held in the East Courtyard among St. Luke’s gardens and freshly painted fencing and entry spaces (see story below).
Edna (pictured at top with CEO L’Don Sawyer) had a featured speaking role. She shared her recollections of the nearly quarter century she has lived at St. Luke’s, and noted how grateful she is to reside in a community of such beauty.
The kick-off event was the result of months of planning by the 100-Year Committee, (pictured above second from top). Committee members pictured from left to right: Amanda Johnson Wood, Mary Greene, Nancy Nagle, Merrily Davis, Ruthie Campbell, Pat Bjorhovde, Cynthia Cobb, Becky Henne, and Debby Johnson. Not pictured but part of the committee: Jere Voigt and Sandie Witthoft.
100-Year History of St. Luke’s in the Desert Now Available!
St. Luke’s in the Desert’s 100-year history has been captured for posterity in a book that details its century of service to Tucson. From its beginning as a tuberculosis sanitarium through today’s holistic assisted-living community for low-income Elders, the book weaves the story through words and pictures.
“Since 1918 when St. Luke’s in the Desert was established, St. Luke’s has provided comfort for populations in need,” said Mary Greene, a member of St. Luke’s Board of Visitors, the female volunteers who have been instrumental in keeping St. Luke’s doors open for 100 years. “As this beautiful new book illustrates, St. Luke’s has been supported by multiple generations of female volunteers, all of whom provide comprehensive and authoritative knowledge and skills.” Greene said.
Copies of the book can be purchased for $15, plus handling and shipping, on line at https://stlukes100.org/orders/ or, in person, at St. Luke’s, 615 East Adams. Watch this space for other dates and locations the book will be available for purchase up to and including the 100th Baile de las Flores on April 6, 2019.
Merrily Davis: Faces of St. Luke’s Century of Service
In celebration of St. Luke’s 100 years, we are proud to offer monthly spotlights on members of the Board of Visitors who, for 100 years, have volunteered their time, creativity and hard work on behalf of St. Luke’s in the Desert.
Merrily Davis recalls vividly her first meeting as a member of the Board of Visitor’s Baile Committee. “It was September 11, 2001. Ruthie (Campbell) was head of the committee that year and she urged us to go ahead with the meeting. ‘Maybe we all need to be together,’ she said, and she was right.”
Since that memorable beginning, Merrily has been an active BOV member, serving seven years as treasurer, two as president, and five to six years heading up donor gifts.
Among her favorite memories is the two years she spent as “scribe” for Alice, an Elder who lived at St. Luke’s. “She was 100 years old, and I would write checks for her. The first check I wrote every month was to Trinity Presbyterian. She also donated to a variety of other causes. She made me record each check in her register with a felt-tip pen because her eyesight was failing and she couldn’t see otherwise. Her training was as a bookkeeper, so I was not allowed to use a calculator, and she could spot a mistake a mile away!”
Merrily and co-chair Sandie Witthoft organized the recent October 28th kick-off of St. Luke’s 100th Anniversary. “One of the first decisions the 100-Year Committee made,” Merrily shared, “was to identify and invite to the kick-off as many early donors as we could find. We were thrilled on Sunday to see so many old friends who had not been to St. Luke’s for 10-20 years. Many were stunned at how good everything looked, since they had last visited during hard times for the Home.”
As Merrily concluded, “We were thrilled to have the chance to see these people after so many years, show off our beautiful buildings and grounds and thank them for their support.” St. Luke’s is also thrilled to benefit from the deep commitment, organizational skills and kindness Merrily so generously provides to St. Luke’s Elders!
SAHBA Orchestrates St. Luke’s Beautification
When David Godlewski, president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders, first read about St. Luke’s 100-year celebrations, he scheduled a visit to St. Luke’s and asked CEO L’Don Sawyer, “How can I help?”
A brief tour of St. Luke’s quickly revealed the need for rejuvenation of the iron work and steel structures in front of St. Luke’s, including in the East Courtyard where the kick-off event was held. Godlewski gathered several of his members including AB LeCocq Construction and the Home Builders Institute (HBI), which brought in a group of students to do the prepping. Dunn-Edwards donated all of the paint required. (Pictured above are John Gallagher of HBI in green and Octavio Mendivils of AB LeCocq Construction).
As Godlewski said, “We are honored to have played a small role in St. Luke’s 100-year celebration. St. Luke’s is a wonderful association that helps many, many people every year. It was a natural fit for SAHBA – The Community Builder – to partner with St. Luke’s on this project. We wish L’Don, the Board and the entire organization all the best as it begins its 101st year of service.”
Happenings at St. Luke’s Home
CareMore In-Service: Thursday, November 8, 10 AM, St. Luke’s Dining Room. Presentation entitled: Urgent vs. Emergent: When to Use Emergency Services.
National Charity League: Saturday, November 10, 2 PM in St. Luke’s Dining Room for games.
Veteran’s Breakfast Celebration: Sunday, November 11, 8 AM, St. Luke’s Dining Room, honoring St. Luke’s Elders who served in military.
UA Pharmacy Medication Safety Clinic: Saturday, November 17, 8:30 AM
Special ASU Author Presentation: Thursday, November 29, St. Luke’s Dining Room, Robin Bonifas, PhD, MSW, LICSW, John A. Hartford Faculty Scholar in Geriatric Social Work, will discuss her book, Bullying Among Older Adults: How to Recognize and Address an Unseen Epidemic. Call for details.
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.