Nan Nasser
Start clipping those food store coupons! The annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Food Drive will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014. This event is open to all residents, including SaddleBrooke Ranch, with curbside pickup of nonperishable food items that will be delivered to the Tri Community Food Bank in Mammoth.
It takes the efforts of many people to make this event a success. Over 150 volunteers participated in last year’s drive. We need unit captains who will deliver fliers to their neighbors and then collect the food on the morning of the drive. We need people in the MountainView Clubhouse parking lot to receive those donations and sort them into categories for delivery to the food bank. Some volunteers will go on to Mammoth to help unload the trucks. For more information on any volunteer opportunity contact Joan or Rich Roberts at 825-7577 or by email at [email protected].
During this past Christmas period this food bank was giving out over 250 holiday food baskets based on a ham dinner. They are staffed by volunteers, with no paid employees, and receive many of their donations from people and groups in SaddleBrooke. Kids’ Closet statistics tell us that over 75% of youngsters in San Manuel are eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program and 90% of Mammoth kids are also enrolled. This is an area of chronic poverty and you can make a difference!
Did you know that expired food products must be disposed of in a specific way? Each item must be opened, the contents dumped in an appropriate manner, and the containers thrown away. Help our volunteers save time by disposing of those old packages yourself.
Cash and checks are also welcome and all funds will be given to TCFB. Donations can be mailed to SBCO, 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd, Suite L, Tucson, Arizona 85739, marked for the food drive.