Judy Williams, co-director of Kids’ Closet
Thanksgiving Food Bank
Nan Nasser
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach will once again prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for eligible families in the Oracle area. We expect to assemble 30 baskets for families at Mountain Vista School as well as people at the Mountain Health and Wellness Center also in Oracle.
These baskets include a turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, rolls, pies and probably Cool Whip! You are invited to make donations of the above items by leaving them at Suite L in the SaddleBrooke Commercial Center. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and questions can be answered by the co-chairs Joan and Rich Roberts at 825-7577 or [email protected].
Cash donations are also appreciated; checks can be made out to SBCO/Thanksgiving Food. Baskets will be delivered November 24 and volunteers are welcome to sort the baskets on site. Contact the Robertses to join us. All surplus items will be taken to the Tri-Community Food Bank which provides services to the Oracle Community.
Dog tired!
Walkathon!
Nan Nasser
It’s October! Time for the annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Walkathon, Saturday, October 25 beginning with warm-ups by Vital Moves at 7:40 a.m. in the SaddleBrooke Clubhouse parking lot.
Worried about the conflict with the I Don’t Want it Sale? Don’t! Register for the Walkathon, get your tee-shirt (which is required for the breakfast), take in the sale and head to SBCC for the buffet breakfast and raffle winners! No attendance is taken for the walk!
Registration is available at our website: www:community-outreach.org or at Suite L in the SaddleBrooke Commercial Place. The cost for the event is $30 per walker; dogs are welcome to join you on leashes but may not come in the clubhouse. A primary walk around Ridgeview will be led by our Grand Marshals and a shorter walk is available. There will be water stations, golf carts along the routes for emergencies and raffle prizes will be awarded at the breakfast.
The raffles include $100 certificates to Walmart, Valero and Bashas, as well as certificates to SaddleBrooke Clubhouse restaurants. The tickets are $1 each and six for $5 and are available at the time of registration as well as at the event.
Polish your sneakers and register for the Walkathon. Wear your tee-shirt with pride and join the breakfast bunch. All proceeds support our programs of Kids’ Closet, Teen Closet, education opportunities and the Tri Community Food Bank.
A child getting a hot breakfast at the 2013 Walkathon.
New things happening
Nan Nasser
The mission of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach is to make a positive impact on the lives of needy children in neighboring communities by improving self-esteem, school attendance and scholastic achievement. We begin with Kids’ Closet where eligible children, selected by school administrators, can receive seasonal wardrobes of all new clothing. A similar program, called Teen Closet, takes high school students on a shopping trip twice a year for school appropriate items. Education includes tutoring, support of enrichment programs and college scholarships. Support of the Tri Community Food Bank in Mammoth helps keep the shelves stocked for needy families in its service area.
And now we are looking at additional ways to support our kids. President Maggie de Block and Executive VP Joan Roberts met with Community Schools Director Lisa Armenta and Food Service Director Joanna Diaz, both employed by the Mammoth/San Manuel School District, to discuss a weekend backpack program of food items for eligible students. The percent of eligible students for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program at Mammoth Elementary School is 89% and at 1st Avenue Elementary School in San Manuel the percent is 78%. One youngster arrived at school on Monday stating he had eaten only one hot dog all weekend. This project is in the planning stage with exciting possibilities.
SBCO is also planning a career day at San Manuel Jr./Sr. High School in March to highlight post-graduation programs other than a traditional four year college. Judy Kany and Mary Kay Stein have been contacting area community colleges and numerous trade programs to tell potential high school graduates about opportunities within their fields. The tentative date for this program is March 3, 2015.
SBCO is 100% volunteer, serving kids from Catalina to San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Our service area is 100 miles long, through an area of chronic poverty in Arizona. If you are interested in getting involved call President Maggie de Block at 818-7835 and visit our office at Suite L in the SaddleBrooke Commercial Center (Monday to Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
Our November General Program will feature some of the education aspects of SBCO. Join us on November 10 at 3:00 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom. Learn about ways you can get involved with these youngsters. These kids are our future.