It's an anomaly to think about it this way, but it's also the best way i know to describe how people too often view Sun City. Without question the single most important organization in the community is the Recreation Centers of Sun City (RCSC). When anyone buys into the community, they have to pay the mandated fees, whether they use the centers or not. From PIF, to CIF, to transfer fees, to the annual lot assessment, the bill comes due at closing. That generates enormous amounts of cash. Along with that, at closing, it also puts the RCSC in a position to have the best data and greatest reach regarding every new home buyer. Hence, they are the one game in town that everyone comes in contact with. It also makes many see Sun City only through the lens of the RCSC. It's no one's fault, but there is a downside that comes from that perception and here's the anomaly: Seeing Sun City and the RCSC in that vane, it really reduces the community to viewing only a "small picture" setting. I've written countless times; "Sun City is the sum total of its parts." And, all of those parts are actually what makes up "big picture" Sun City. It's one of the reasons i have so often taken this task on; helping anyone reading what i am writing better understand what exists beyond the RCSC. I'm not going to pretend no one knows about many of the various organizations. They do, but they don't often put together the collective impact they have and have had on making Sun City successful. Almost all of them have a storied history, many longer than others. All of them have relied on volunteers, either in part or in total. Let me throw up a quick list and then we can circle back as we dig deeper: 1). Rec Centers of Sun City (RCSC). 2). Sun City Home Owners Association (SCHOA). 3). Condo Owners Association (COA). 4). Sunshine Service. 5). Sun City Community Assistance Network (CAN). 6). Proud Residents Independently Donating Essential Services (PRIDE). 7). Sun City POSSE. 8). Friends of the Library. 9). Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. 10). Sun City Foundation. 11). Olive Branch Senior Center. (Funded by the Sun Health Foundation). 12). Valley View Community Food Bank. Along with this list are numerous others. The Maricopa Sheriff's Department, the Sun City Fire and Medical Department (both funded by tax dollars) and each providing important services. There are too many service clubs and organizations to list, with many of them being around since Sun City opened in 1960. Plus, many of the 31 churches provide support to their congregation. All of these organizations and groups have been a stabilizing force in and through Sun City and frankly without them, the community would look nothing like it does today. We truly are big picture Sun City...just imagine if we harnessed all of that good will, energy and expertise and made us what we should/could be?
SCHOA's Day of Service is just one great example of banding organizations and individuals together to clean up properties for owners requiring help with labor and costs. This has been a great success and required many organizations to come together to make it work. Very well done and organized. Day of Service - SCHOA - Sun City HOA https://share.google/YMp0vdPoIAo8vC9AZ
Thanks for pointing that event by SCHOA out, Cheri. That day, the past couple of years, has been a sight to behold. It should surprise no one in Sun City that efforts like this have been ongoing since our inception. The Sun City Visitor Center used to show a chart on their walls that mentioned the incredible number of volunteer hours and the resulting financial impact to our community on a yearly basis. It was staggering. All of which is why i (and others) believe this community has the potential to once again become "the community that changed the nation." In a day and age when the first question asked is "what's in it for me" became the norm, we simply need to change the narrative and refocus our energies on rebuilding that sense of community. While our first two gatherings have been a slow start, we see the potential to expand and grow to something bigger and better than just getting to know one another. I have been pretty blunt in my analysis that what we are doing will not be our salvation. We are at the nub of a beginning, but collectively we see the potential and the next session (Thursday Aug 21 at the Grand Center starting at 3 pm) we will begin to drill down into topics we believe can begin to restore some of what has been lost or pushed aside over the years. We'll see eh? And, hopefully perhaps we'll see you there?
Great writing as always Bill, but the next meeting date is Thursday, August 21st between 3-5 pm. Thanks for all of your help and support for the group.
