Sun City Oro Valley residents buy lunch for hospital staff

Lunch was on the house last Friday at the Oro Valley Hospital after a delivery of sandwiches from the Sun City Vistoso Community Foundation.

According to foundation secretary Wanda Johnson, the idea came from a brainstorming session with her husband.

“The TVs are covered with the fact that medical staff are exhausted and working long hours and there’s a lot of danger to their health,” she said. “We thought this could be something that would just brighten their day a little bit.”

Boxes of sandwiches were delivered to both day and night employees on Friday, made by The Views Restaurant and dropped off by volunteer group Helpful Hands Vistoso. Employees received a sandwich, a bag of chips, a cookie and a soft drink.

A free lunch is just one example of the foundation’s philanthropic mission, according to president Jerold Bushong. The nonprofit incorporated in 2000 and was initially utilized as a tax-deductible way to improve the lives of Sun City Oro Valley residents, Bushong said. Since then, the organization’s work has expanded to include contributions to organizations serving both youth and seniors.

Bushong said he was immediately supportive of Johnson’s idea, and gathered unanimous approval of the board within an hour (over email, of course).

“It’s just a sign of appreciation for what they’re going through,” Bushong said. “They’re faced with potentially serious health implications to themselves as well as fulfilling their jobs.”

All of their funding comes from donations made by Sun City Oro Valley residents. According to the foundation, they’ve donated more than $700,000 in the last 20 years.

“I think you will find that a lot of people in the Sun City area are very generous and they are very willing to help and are very concerned about our community and wanting to keep it strong,” Johnson said. “We’re delighted we can do it.”