Last summer, legally-blind senior citizen Lucy Davis was just one of the nearly 200 residents who received a “Beat the Heat” care package.
Lucy said items contained in the package make a real difference in her ability to get by during the summer. The visit by Scottsdale social workers to deliver the items is also welcomed by Lucy, who enjoys the company.
Every June, the Via Linda and Granite Reef senior centers provide bags of necessary supplies for isolated, frail and homebound seniors.
This year’s program is gearing up, and Senior Services is once again relying on the generosity of our community to donate.
Items needed include healthy snacks, nutritional drinks, bottled water, stamps and unused personal hygiene products.
Donations are due Friday, June 3, and they can be dropped off to the Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda.
Monetary donations are accepted, as well. Checks and cash can be mailed in care of Concerned Citizens for Community Health, 7700 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale, AZ 85257. Please make sure the check or donation references the “Beat the Heat” program.
Credit card donations can be made online at www.ConcernedCitizensScotttsdale.org.
Besides bringing relief to those in need, city staff gets the opportunity to personally assess the growing demands of homebound seniors.
Susie Cummings runs the program and says, “Our population is aging, and the demand to help seniors in this situation is growing.” The city doesn’t buy items for this program and strictly relies on donations for its success, she adds.
For more information about “Beat the Heat,” visit www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov, search “Beat the Heat.”
