When you see donation boxes in apartment communities
across the Valley at communities like MEB, ConAm, and Dunlap & Magee, some
people wonder where all those goods go. This weekend, AMA members will
celebrate Christmas early with an annual dinner for more than 600 Valley
residents in need.
Shirley Arthur, a lifetime member of the AMA and
recipient of St. Vincent De Paul’s Lifetime Achievement Award, has spent the
past few months planning this annual Christmas dinner. For years, Shirley has
organized volunteers, mostly from the multifamily industry, to host a
traditional feast at the Chris Becker Memorial Dining Room in Sunnyslope.
Joining Shirley are numerous local companies, government
agencies, neighbors and friends. They help to raise funds and solicit goods and
even stuff stockings and wrap presents. This year the generous people at
Aventura, the catering company that serves the Phoenix Convention Center,
stepped in to cook all of the turkeys. Companies like Kowalski Construction
have committed to supporting the set up and cleanup. Apartment communities have
been collecting goods for these families from their staff members and
residents.
On Sunday, volunteers will set tables with clothing,
toys, and specially made stockings. Parents have time to select items they need
so they can plan for a holiday. The stockings, some made possible by members of
St. Luke’s Catholic Church, include goodies for children. The Desert Horizon
Phoenix police precinct contributes bags of toys.
Sharing this dinner with so many colleagues, community
partners, and families in need puts this holiday season into perspective. A
cadre of volunteers, led by the extraordinary Shirley Arthur, have provided
hope and kindness for thousands of families over the years. The generosity of
local businesses, police officers and residents living in apartment communities
has created personal connections that make our neighborhoods stronger.