Handmaker: Tucson's Non-Profit Continuing Care Retirement Community

06/03/2026

Martha got the creative juices flowing in the Rich Neighborhood activity room this afternoon! She brought pastels and paper today, gave a short demonstration, and the residents had a terrific time making some beautiful art.

Thanks to Martha for making art so fun and accessible to all, and to Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona for providing the funding for these wonderful classes.

06/02/2026

Thanks so much to Patty and Diane for coming by today to help Handmaker residents register to vote!

They helped quite a few new residents to change their address on their voter registration, because the USPS does not forward Absentee Ballots. Everyone was grateful for their assistance.

We look forward to seeing them back again in the fall!

06/01/2026

We had our first meeting of our Handmaker Yiddish Group last week. It was inspired by a class that was taught by Sheldon Clare, of blessed memory, years ago.

Without a formal teacher, this new gathering consisted of a group of residents and guests who are interested in practicing and expanding their yiddish vocabulary a bissel ( a little). At this first meeting, the group shared some information about their backgrounds and their experience with yiddish. One thing that most everyone had in common were parents who spoke in yiddish in front of them when they did not want their kids knowing what they were saying!

It was a geshmak (enjoyable) meeting, and the attendees wished each other zay gezunt (go in health) until their next meeting!

05/29/2026

Thanks to Alice, a wonderful American Sign Language (ASL) teacher who is currently at Handmaker, residents in Rubin AL learned and practiced their ASL this week.

They are motivated because they want to communicate more readily with their friend Don. We have been learning together with videos and practice sheets, but Alice was a whole other level of amazing! We look forward to learning with her again next week!

05/27/2026

Tim Ferrell has been a dedicated member of our Environmental Services team for nearly 42 years — a true testament to his commitment to Handmaker and the residents he has served over the years.

After decades of hard work, Tim has decided it is time to enjoy a well-earned retirement. His co-workers celebrated him today with a festive Ice Cream Social.

While we will certainly miss seeing his friendly face around campus, we wish him nothing but happiness, good health, and an enjoyable retirement!

05/26/2026

Handmaker residents and guests enjoyed a delicious Erev Shavuot Dinner, followed by a study session led by Mel Cohen last Thursday night.

Thanks to Claire and Mike for making this special meal, especially the yummy cheesecake!

05/21/2026

Thanks so much to amazing Friends of Pima Animal Care Center volunteer Donna Vining for sharing these cute puppies with residents at Handmaker. She has been fostering them, and we are always happy to help out by giving them an opportunity to socialize.

They brought so much joy to our residents, and staff, this morning. Nothing like a good puppy snuggle to start your day! Thanks to Shania, Ariana, and Ashely for bringing them around to visit with everyone!

These sweet pups are adoptable through PACC. Contact their foster mom, Donna Vining, for more info at [email protected].

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

Handmaker residents in Rubin AL learned about Peru in their monthly Around the World class today. And what a beautiful country it is!

Peru is home to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu, the mysterious, enormous geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines, a huge portion of the Amazon Rainforest, the fascinating cities of Lima and Cuzco and much more. It is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, and we were amazed by all of their brightly colored birds, flowers, traditional clothes, potatoes, corns, and the colorful Rainbow Mountain!

All the bright colors inspired residents to paint some stunning butterflies, because Peru is also the butterfly capital of the world, with about 4,000 species, roughly 20% of the world's butterfly population.

Definitely add Peru to your bucket list!

05/15/2026

Handmaker Assisted Living residents went Out and About this week to the Fort Lowell Museum. Less than a 10 minute drive from Handmaker, this outing took us to another time and place, when Arizona was just a territory, and life was very different than it is today.

Our amazingly knowledgeable Docents, Wolf and Aaron, gave us a wonderful tour, which included history, archeology, and some great stories. For example, none of us had ever heard of the Bascom Affair, which we learned was the catalyst for the Apache Wars.

If you have not yet visited the Ft Lowell Museum, we highly recommended it. It is small, but so much history and artifacts are packed into this small space!