Volunteering is passion for Maricopa resident

Therese Starkey would rather talk about others than talk about herself. An active and dedicated community member, Starkey likes to keep the attention on those who volunteer for the events she coordinates. “I love the people of this community who are so willing to give their time,” says Starkey.

Retiring in Arizona from New York and moving to Maricopa in 2005, Starkey has done anything but slow down. A founding member of Maricopa Seniors, Inc., she has been involved in everything from the United Way to Hospice of the Valley to the home and garden show she founded in Maricopa.

“I learned about the value of volunteering from my mother at a very young age,” Starkey says. “And I would get so bored if I wasn’t involved!”

When she moved to Maricopa, Starkey noticed that people were having a hard time finding services they needed. Her first Maricopa event was dubbed Community Support Day, and it gathered various local service providers in one place. Attendance at the event was about 500 people. The next year, it attracted 2,000 people, further proving to Starkey the need for such a community event.

She found her niche, however, serving her own peer group. Starkey and friend Helen Brown founded Maricopa Seniors, whose mission is to provide programs that will help create a safe and healthy environment for seniors, to create a business base for seniors to receive discounts on products and services, and to provide an online resource directory.

One of the first projects the group tackled was creating a discount card for seniors, the Infinity Card. Starkey also led the development of the Pendant of Life program, an emergency call system for seniors unable to reach the telephone.

Starkey also conceived and organized a “senior prom” that was held in April at Maricopa High School. With the help of hard working high school volunteers, prom goers were served a full meal and danced the night away after being escorted down a red carpet when they arrived. “There was so much help,” Starkey says, “it had to be successful. And it was.”

Particularly close to Starkey’s heart is a day of remembrance program she is working on with the city of Maricopa. Having lost several people close to her, she can attest to the importance of having a place to share grief and celebrate the lives of people who have passed away. “It helps you to know you are not alone,” Starkey says.

Retirement means different things to different people, and for Starkey it signifies an opportunity to help others. “You work your whole life and then retire, but that doesn’t mean you just stop,” Starkey says.

“I always knew I would do something when I retired. I have everything I need, but not everyone does. We need to reach out to those people in our community.”

Photo by Cindy Price

A version of this article appeared in the September issue of InMaricopa the Magazine.