PRICE REDUCTION!

Many Sun City residents volunteer for worthy causes outside of our gates. A glance at the list of Registered Community Groups shows about 10 groups that exist to support specific worthy causes in the local non-profit community. The bottom line is that Sun City people are kind, caring, talented and experienced people who freely give their time and talents to help others. It’s nice to live in a community with such neighbors!

Judy Ferguson is one of a large number of Sun City volunteers at God’s Goods Thrift Store in Bluffton, which is 100% staffed by volunteers. Judy manages the God’s Goods Facebook page that includes a number of pictures of Sun City’s volunteers. Kim Perri, God’s Goods Ministry Leader, notes that over 800 volunteers have served God’s Goods over its 13-year history and that approximately half of the volunteers have been from Sun City. Kim said that “ God’s Goods is grateful and blessed by the residents of Sun City for all that they do to contribute toward achieving the God’s Goods Mission.” Kim adds that Sun City residents also play a vital role by donating (and purchasing) goods as well as helping to stock the shelves of the Food Pantry. Sun City resident Linda Tompkins serves as God’s Goods’ Volunteer Manager.

Most, perhaps all, of Sun City’s 19,000 residents have much for which we can be thankful. Our lives and our careers have led to our residency in this great community. The notion of “paying it forward” and

“giving back” appears to be alive and well in our community. But thinking about paying it forward and giving back through volunteering is not the whole story. There are other significant reasons why residents volunteer. When asked, many volunteers point to several reasons that they give freely of their time and talents including reinvigorated energy, physical, mental, and emotional stimulation, camaraderie and friendships, genuine caring for our community and/or a worthy cause, or perhaps simply the opportunity to get off the sofa and get out of the house.

If you are not currently a volunteer, and are considering the possibility, check the community’s website and Sunsations to learn more about the many volunteer opportunities. If you are, or have been a volunteer, thank you! As Tab and Brad said, you are the backbone of our active lifestyle.

Ron Gray is a freelance writer and resident of Sun City, psuron@live.com.