Sun City Residents “Pay It Forward” and “Give Back”

By Ron Gray

“Pay It Forward” is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than to the original benefactor. The phrase may have been coined by Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 book “In the Garden of Delight”. In Sun City, there are over 1,000 residents who “pay it forward” or “give back” on a regular basis by volunteering their time and talents to assist in maintaining and enhancing the exceptional quality of the Sun City community and by providing assistance to worthy causes outside of the Sun City gates.

Within Sun City, there are numerous opportunities for volunteerism including leadership and membership roles related to the seven Board Advisory Committees, Safety & Security roles, Neighborhood Representatives and Alternate Representatives, and various Chartered Clubs, Registered Community Groups and Committees. The October 30 election will include a Resident Board of Directors position and Neighborhood Rep and Alternate Rep positions.

For an effort to be impactful, there must be leaders and members who believe in the group’s mission and are willing to devote their time and talents to achieve the group’s goals. As individuals leave the leadership and the membership of many of these groups, it has been challenging to find replacements. While it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to maintain and enhance a high-quality community.

Anna Maria Tabernik (Tab), Vice President of Sun City’s Board of Directors shared her thoughts regarding volunteerism in Sun City: “Personally, I made a promise when I retired to ‘give back’ to help others in appreciation for the help family and friends gave to me when I was a single parent raising my children and working. Knowing you have a support system in your life is invaluable for facing life’s challenges with determination. To me, the essence of our community is volunteerism. Yes, it is a way to ‘pay it forward’ or ‘give back’ for all the blessings we now enjoy. Residents who give of their time to help others, lead others, or participate in our governance are an integral part of what makes Sun City such a great place to live. Those who believe their time is well spent volunteering inside and outside of our gates set us apart from other HOAs. Sun City has earned the reputation as a