President David Loendorf, Ron Bechky and Gary Hammond
Sandy Morse
While the warm setting sun and a light breeze danced on the Activity Center patio, a group of very special folks began arriving for the second annual SaddleBrooke Senior Village Volunteer Appreciation Event. A simple thank you just isn’t enough when trying to show appreciation to over 150 amazing Senior Village Volunteers, so this special evening was set aside to celebrate and honor these dedicated volunteers. In 2017, our volunteers gave 5,412 devoted hours of assistance to Village members. This evening was to recognize and pay tribute to these outstanding volunteers who are the life blood of the Senior Village.
A lively drink station and appetizers kept everyone busy on the patio while a delicious array of hot foods was being prepared inside. The energetic crowd was soon directed to festive and colorful table settings, and the room became an animated and active cafe, definite ingredients for a delightful evening.
After a delicious meal, President David Loendorf welcomed all and then presented impressive Senior Village statistics for the past year.
*We have 413 Senior Village members.
*There are 151 trained and vetted volunteers.
*We drove 27,000 miles.
*We took care of 221 home and yard tasks, fixed leaky faucets, moved heavy boxes and “you name it”!
*111 members participated in our social activities involving birthday parties, bingo, putting, book club and more.
*117 Golder Ranch lock boxes were installed.
One by one, volunteers came to the podium to accept award pins in recognition of their service to the Village. Special appreciation went to two retiring Board members: Founder and President Gary Hammond and Vice President and Treasurer Ron Bechky. Gary recruited Ron for the Board in 2015 when Senior Village began here in SaddleBrooke and thanks to their guidance and commitment, the Village continues to grow and thrive. Because of Ron’s research, the State of Arizona approved our Village to qualify for the tax credit program. Gary will stay on to act as consultant to the Board in the position of President Emeritus.
The final crown of the evening featured a vast array of homemade desserts, made, of course, by our talented volunteers. Yes, this Volunteer Appreciation was truly an evening of gratitude, camaraderie and reflection; their night of recognition as we all came together to applaud the amazing efforts and dedication of these Senior Village volunteers.
For more information about Senior Village of SaddleBrooke, to become a member, volunteer or donate, call 520-314-1042 or visit http://www.seniorvillageatsaddlebrooke.org.