Villa volunteers' annual luncheon set for Nov. 7

Friday, Oct. 23, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Plans are in the works for the St. Joseph Villa Volunteer Annual Fall Luncheon, which this year has the theme “Oldies, But Goodies,” to be held at Saint Ambrose Catholic Church Nov. 7. 

The volunteers will have their annual jewelry sale, where it is possible to find an oldie but goodie piece of jewelry from among the vintage items. They will also have a bake sale, where there will be plenty of goodies to be found. 

The luncheon will include entertainment by Bob Shorten, who will play the piano and sing songs from the ’50s and ’60s. 

The proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the Senior Charity Care fund that assists the St. Joseph Villa residents with obtaining items not covered by their insurance, such as eye glasses, hearing aids and dentures. Also, the volunteers supply residents with “entertainment for their birthdays, gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Christmas, and we host a Christmas party for them with Santa Claus and all the trimmings,” said Maxine Giovacchini, a volunteer for more than 30 years. 

“We host this luncheon so we can make the residents’ lives more pleasant,” Giovacchini added. “We are in need of new volunteers; some of our volunteers have either passed away or no longer can participate because of health reasons. All we need is for people to commit to one hour a week to assist with bingo or in a sing-a-long; if they want to help in the gift shop, then the volunteer time commitment is three hours a week. The volunteers run the gift shop, which is a nice place for the residents to come and visit and have a conversation; that is how we can cheer them up and give them a happy outlook on life.” 

The St. Joseph Villa volunteers are the only volunteers of the Ensign Corporation, the business entity that owns the villa and has more than 80 care centers throughout the United States, said Giovacchini. “Out of those care centers, St. Joseph Villa also is the only one with a gift shop, which is unique. Some of the volunteers have been helping out for more than 30 years and have tallied anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 volunteer hours. This luncheon is always a lot of fun; we are able to find themes that are fun to decorate around.” 

What: St. Joseph Villa Volunteer Annual Fall Luncheon

Where: St. Ambrose Parish social center, 1995 South 2300 East, SLC

When: Social at 11 a.m.; lunch at noon

Cost: $25 per person

Lunch will be catered by the Midvale Mining Company Restaurant. Tickets can be purchased from Maxine Giovacchini at 801-582-2282 or at the St. Joseph Villa Gift Shop, 451 E. Bishop Federal Lane, SLC.