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Volunteers
Profile
Hardworking retiree makes
a difference in Maricopa
Therese Starkey passionate about serving her community and helping others
By Becky Papp
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.
“I have everything
I need, but not
everyone does. We
need to reach out to
those people in our
community.”
— Therese Starkey
With the help of hardworking 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
Photo by Cindy Price
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.”
20 InMaricopa.com | Vol. 5 Issue 3