W. Valley hospital pays it forward with donations of water

SUN CITY WEST, AZ - The hospital staff at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center is paying it forward and helping those less fortunate in the area.

Employees and volunteers collected 4,617 bottles of water during the hospital's Unity for Our Community campaign. The water is being donated to Banner Olive Branch Senior Center in Sun City, and to Eve's Place in Surprise.

"At Banner Del E. Webb, we work closely with our community. We know their needs and this is a small way we can help," said Unity's co-chair, Joanne Karas, an administrative assistant with the hospital located at 14502 W. Meeker Boulevard.

Banner Olive Branch serves Sun City area seniors with a weekday lunch and home delivered meals, health screenings, trips, entertainment, exercise classes, legal assistance, counseling and benefits checks. Eve's Place is a refuge for women and children suffering from domestic violence.

"With the current cutbacks in funds for nonprofits, the donations from Banner Del E. Webb's Unity for Our Community is extremely needed and welcome," said Laura Horsley, Executive Director of Eve's Place. "Water is so precious in the desert and for those who have had to flee their homes and seek shelter, this donation will be such a huge help to us in helping them."

During Banner Del E. Webb's quarterly campaign drive people are not asked to dip into their pockets, but rather clean out their cupboards and closets and donate nonperishable food items and gently used clothing to the facilities. The 404-bed, acute-care hospital is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit health care system with 22 hospitals throughout the West.

"We are always looking for ways to help the seniors in our community. Unity for Our Community helps augment what we do," said Ivy Shirley, manager of Banner Olive Branch.

For its next campaign, Banner Del E. Webb's Unity for Our Community will do a flip-flop and paper drive. Paper goods are always needed at both facilities and the flip-flops will help keep adults' and children's bare feet cool during the hot summer.