If you have lived in Arizona for at least a couple of years or more, you know that certain areas of the valley turn into ghost towns in the summertime.This is directly related to the Arizona Snowbirds.Did you know there are approximately 100,000 snowbirds from Canada alone that live in Arizona for the winter?

Snowbirds are generally retired individuals that want to spend the colds months in Arizona and return to their homes in the northern regions when it starts to warm up between April and May. By the end of May, many retirement communities are left with just a fraction of their normal residents.Areas like Sun City, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe have the largest amounts of snowbirds leaving.

This translates to drastic decreases of community support for many hospice patients.Neighbors who come over and visit, take out the trash, share stories, or run small errands are no longer available.Many hospice patients come to Arizona to retire and don’t have family living locally.This means May through the end of October can be a very lonely time for many people.

Now is the perfect time to make the decision to volunteer and be that smiling face and support for someone in need.If you are interested in giving a little of your time, contact Aleca Hospice at 480-748-4300 or email our Volunteer Coordinator Erin Spielman at [email protected]. We are happy to have both one-time and longer-term volunteers join us!

Make a difference in someone’s life by sharing the journey with them!

Have a happy, safe, and fulfilling summer!