40 Years of Serving SVL Residents

Sun Valley Lodge congratulates Lily Topete on her 40th Anniversary of working at the facility. She serves as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the SVL skilled nursing wings. Lily began her employment in 1969; only five years after the Lodge opened its doors as the first retirement community in Sun City.

Lodge Nursing Director Bobbi Jackson said, “Lily is extremely congenial and always willing to help. Her experience is a great asset to the department and she has seen many of our residents go from independent living to assisted living to our Health Care Center.”

Lily describes her fellow employees and residents at the Lodge as “family” and calls the Lodge “the only place I ever wanted to work.”

Thank you, Lily!

Blanche Forrester to Oversee Assisted Living

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
www.sunvalleylodge.org


Sun Valley Lodge Welcomes New Wellness Director

Sun City, Arizona – Tuesday, July 07, 2009 – Sun Valley Lodge has named Blanche Forrester as its new Wellness Director. Blanche will be overseeing the health concerns of the Lodge’s assisted living residents and managing the staff of caregivers. She is replacing Mary Tutunjian who retired at the end of June.

“I love the synergy in Sun Valley Lodge,” said Blanche. “The interaction between staff and residents makes it feel like home.”

Blanche is a licensed practical nurse and was Director of Assisted Living at Amethyst Arbor before joining the SVL staff. She lives in Surprise with her husband and has two grown children.

For more information on assisted living services at Sun Valley Lodge please call (623) 933-0137.

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Happy 101st Birthday, Louis!!!

Lodge Says Goodbye to Mary T.

Staff members and residents gathered in the assisted living office today to surprise Mary with a cake, card, and thanks. She is retiring from her position as Wellness Director at the Lodge. As a licensed practical nurse, Mary Tutunjian has provided care for those in need for over forty years. For over four of those years she served the elderly residents of Sun Valley Lodge in Sun City with tremendous love, respect, and professional expertise.

Mary started her tenure at the Lodge in the skilled nursing Health Care Center and was soon promoted to Wellness Director where she oversaw the health concerns of all our assisted living residents. Mary was well versed in the art of giving care by the time she started at the Lodge. In addition to her work with the elderly, she has spent much of her career taking care of the mentally impaired and those trying to break drug and alcohol addictions.

The residents and staff of Sun Valley Lodge are sorry to see her go and wish her a happy retirement. Her dedication to both her professional knowledge and her patients’ needs made her a tremendous asset to our community and a role model for caregivers everywhere.

Sun City Couple Honored for Volunteerism

Sun Valley Lodge honored Charlotte and Leonard Sniegowski today at the Lodge’s annual volunteer appreciation luncheon. The couple was presented the Lodge’s Helene Pfeifer award for outstanding volunteerism.

Marketing Director Mike Kloberdanz said, “Len and Charlotte are a tremendous asset to our community. The impact they have on our residents goes far beyond the tasks they perform. We are honored to have them here.”

The Sniegowskis’ are Sun City residents who have been volunteering at the Lodge for several years. Charlotte primarily donates her time to the activities department and Len delivers mail to assisted living residents.

Arizona Women in the Great Depression

Historian Mary Melcher will discuss the role of women during the Great Depression at Sun Valley Lodge on Thursday, April 9th at 2:00 PM as part of the Discover Arizona series of programs sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.

Dr. Melcher is a historian and consultant who works with organizations and museums to develop publications, exhibits and other projects. Her publications on Arizona history focus on ranch and farmwomen, civil rights, public health, and the impact of World War II. Dr. Melcher has conducted more than one hundred oral histories with Arizonans. This presentation will use oral histories, memoirs, and photos to illustrate women’s experiences during this difficult time.

The Discover Arizona series consists of six programs that each feature a different aspect of Arizona history and are presented by an accomplished speaker. The series opened on March 5th and is sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.

This program is free and open to the public. Sun Valley Lodge is located at 12415 N. 103rd Avenue in Sun City. For more details please call 623-933-0137.

Award Winning Authors Revisit Route 66

Award winning authors Richard and Sherry Mangum will visit Sun Valley Lodge on Thursday, April 2nd at 2:00 PM as part of the Discover Arizona series of programs sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council. Their presentation will focus on the Arizona portion of the “Mother Road” using historical documents, old photographs, maps, and other graphic materials.

The Mangums’ are a husband and wife team based in Flagstaff. They have written and published books about northern Arizona including Route 66. Since 1993, they have conducted free Flagstaff Historic Walks, which have been attended by thousands of people. They were appointed Flagstaff’s Ambassadors by The Arizona Daily Star in 2001, and were nominated as Culturekeepers in 2003. In 2006, they were given the Arizona Governor’s Spirit of Service to Tourism Award.

The Discover Arizona series consists of six programs that each feature a different aspect of Arizona history and are presented by an accomplished speaker. The series opened on March 5th and is sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.

All of the programs are free and open to the public. Sun Valley Lodge is located at 12415 N. 103rd Avenue in Sun City. For more details please call 623-933-0137.