SaddleBrooke Community Outreach

Miam’s ‘M&M’ Program Produces Big Results

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

Do you recall memorizing the multiplication tables while in grade school? Kevin Hull, principal of Lee Kornegay Intermediate School in Miami, Ariz., knows this knowledge is vital to future success in mathematics. And he should know. Prior to becoming the principal of this third through fifth grade school, Hull spent most of his career in education teaching junior and senior high school mathematics.

He says, “The number-one cause of failure to advance in math studies is a lack of computational skills. Learning long division in fifth grade is challenging. There are several steps to be completed. If you do not automatically know the multiplication tables, you get stalled trying to complete the first step in the process.”

To encourage students in his school to master the multiplication tables, Hull created the “Math Masters” (aka “The M&Ms”) program. A grant from SaddleBrooke Community Outreach helps fund the program. Students who can recite the tables receive a black t-shirt emblazoned with green M&Ms. According to Hull, “We make a big deal of their success.”  Their achievement is recognized with an announcement and special presentation of the t-shirt. Hull will also go into classrooms at random and present a pack of M&M candies to those students who are “Math Masters.” The desire to receive a t-shirt and candy, along with the pride of being recognized as an “M&M”, has proven to be a strong incentive for the students.

Hull notes that the program has produced significant results. “In the first semester of this school year, from August through December, our students’ math test scores schoolwide showed slightly under .93, a full year of growth in just five months. The teachers love the program.” This approach—incentivizing students to acquire skills through a combination of rewards and competition—has proven so successful with mathematics that teachers at Lee Kornegay Intermediate School are looking at ways to adapt it to teaching reading skills.

SBCO Elects New Board of Directors

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

On April 10 at the annual meeting of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO), the organization elected its board of directors for 2023-24. The members of the new board include:

* President: Denise Anthony

* Executive Vice President: Laura Pauli

* Recording Secretaries: Cheryl Smith and Marcia Van Ommeran

* Corresponding Secretary: Karen Green

* Treasurer: Camille Esterman

* Assistant Treasurer: Jeannine Grippo

* Vice President Enrichment: Linda Richter

* Vice President Education: Steve Sahl

* Vice Presidents Kids’ Closet: Michelle Schroeder, Betty Ryan, and Eileen Hansen

* Directors of Scholarship Endowment: Ed Barnes and Jan Olsson

* Director of Teen Closet: Vivian Enrico

* Directors of Membership: Andrea Stephens and Tim Bowen

* Director of Communications: Nancy McCluskey-Moore

* Golden Goose Representative: Melanie Stout

Board members serve two-year terms and may be re-elected to serve a second term. Five returning board members required board approval to continue their service beyond four consecutive years in the same position. These included Camille Esterman, Karen Green, Nancy McCluskey-Moore, Marcia Van Ommeran, and Cheryl Smith.

2023 SBCO Annual Food Drive a Resounding Success!

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

The compassionate residents of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch made this year’s annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Food Drive a great success. The food drive raised $144,996 and received 18,000 pounds of food donations. This is a wonderful result, and the families assisted by the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB), as well as its board of directors and volunteers, are deeply grateful for this outpouring of support.

Thanks to your generosity, TCFB will be able to assist an unduplicated 515 households, including 1,518 people, during 2023. The Food Bank serves 426 children and 305 seniors. These households can receive up to two food boxes a month, each containing a three-day supply of food.

Speaking on behalf of TCFB, Rosemary Douglas said, “The generosity of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents is reflected in the amazing results of the SBCO 2023 Food Drive. TCFB now has a full warehouse and funds to purchase additional food items, such as high-quality proteins, for the remainder of the year. We are very grateful for your help as we continue our mission to support our neighbors in need.”

This was the first year since the COVID pandemic that the Food Drive was able to accept food donations as well as monetary contributions made online or with checks. Volunteers from SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, TCFB, and Teen Closet students enjoyed the warm weather and comradery of sorting through the food donations, boxing and loading them on trucks, and unloading the donations at TCFB. All monetary contributions will go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. Both SBCO and TCFB are all-volunteer organizations and IRS 501(c)(3) and AZ nonprofit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.

SBCO and TCFB thank the many SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents who made such a great difference in the lives of those in need, especially the SaddleBrooke Unit Food Drive captains:

Unit 1/1A: Casey Domalewski

Unit 2: Melanie Stout

Unit 3N: Candy Brockey

Unit 3S: Beth and Dan Conquest

Unit 4: Linda Holt

Unit 5: Becky and Steve Spence

Unit 6: Linda Henriksen

Unit 7: Linda Morrison and Kathie Garman

Unit 8: Heidi Wagner

Unit 8A: Donna O’Shea and Cindy Rutkowski

Unit 9: Ted Crowley

Unit 10/10A: Sandy Simester

Unit 11: Paula and Frank Morgan

Unit 12: Mike and Chris Havnaer

Unit 14: Barb Turner

Unit 15: Marcia VanOmmeran

Unit 16: Emilie and Ken Siarkiewicz

Unit 17: Patrick Polencheck

Unit 18: Lorna and Mark Kitchen

Unit 19: Patty Oswalt

Unit 20: Ruby Okada and Mike Hatmaker

Unit 21: Pat and Ron Andrea

Unit 22: Linda Morrison

Unit 23: Patrick and Eileen Hansen

Unit 24: Phyllis Meierhenry and Susan Barnes

Unit 25: Bill Rigg

Unit 27: Karen Erickson

Unit 28: Anita Woodbury

Unit 29: Cheryl and John Quist

Unit 30: Linda DeWitt

Unit 31: Kathy Mathews

Unit 32: Teri Spencer

Unit 33: Cash Striplin

Unit 35/35A: Debra and Dwight Cox

Unit 36/36A: Christine Schmitz

Unit 42: Eric Zobel

Unit 43: Linda Bartholow and Linda Oberski

Unit 44A: Shirley Hovan

Unit 45: David and Kathleen Eaton

Unit 46/46A: Rex Witherspoon

Unit 47: John Farnham

Unit 48/48A: Jane Lahman

Unit 49: Carol Thompson and Andrea Sahl

Unit 50: Marsha Kurtic

SBCO Scholarship Endowment: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Kathie Marshall

Weatherwise, it was not the best of days to host a Saddlebrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) endowment donor “Meet and Greet” event on the Ranch Grill patio on March 16. However, current and potential scholarship endowment donors braved the chill and wind to be honored at the SBCO Endowment Committee’s first Endowment Donor Appreciation Reception. The program included introductions of the committee members by Committee Co-Chair Ed Barnes, along with comments by SBCO Scholarship Committee Chair Steve Sahl on the status of the thriving scholarship program. The star of the event was Augustine (Augie) Hing, an impressive four-year SBCO scholarship student who is finishing her undergraduate degree at ASU and will be attending graduate school in the fall. Augie addressed the donor group with a moving speech on the impact the scholarship monies have made in her life.

Following Augie’s comments, a new SBCO endowment donor, Tom Marshall, addressed the group on why he and his wife support the endowment program. “My wife and I have enjoyed full lives with great careers and travel, all made possible by the privilege of education. In our retirement years, it gives us a great deal of satisfaction to know that we are helping to further opportunities for low-income students to achieve their dreams through education.” Tom and his wife plan on making an annual contribution to the scholarship endowment fund through their donor advised fund, as well as including the SBCO Endowment Fund in their estate plan.

At this event, donors were thanked and reminded of the power of endowment in allowing the scholarship program to exist well into the future. Currently, the scholarships are funded through the proceeds of the Golden Goose, but the closing of the Goose during the pandemic illustrated the need for an additional source of funding.

Please consider a contribution to the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund to ensure there will be scholarships for future generations. All contributions must be made payable to the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (CFSA) and designated for SBCO Endowment (CFSA’s tax ID is 94–26817650). A minimum contribution of $5,000 is required. (Consult your tax advisor for potential benefits.)

Contribution options include:

* Mail a check made payable to CFSA and include “SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund” in the memo line. Donations should be sent to SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund, Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, 5049 E. Broadway, Suite 201, Tucson, AZ 85711.

* Arrange for a distribution from your IRA to CFSA for the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund.

* Include CFSA and the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund as a beneficiary in your trust or estate plan.

* To donate non-cash contributions (e.g., stocks, securities, real estate, autos), please email [email protected] for assistance.

For more information or questions about the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund, please email [email protected] or call the SBCO office at 520-825-3302.

An endowment gift is indeed a gift that keeps on giving!

SBCO Honors Special Volunteers for 2022-23

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

For the past 26 years, all-volunteer organization SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has provided food, clothing, educational grants, and scholarships for local children in communities along the 100-plus-mile “Copper Corridor” that stretches north from Catalina to Globe. On April 10, SBCO board members, volunteers, and supporters gathered to celebrate the achievements of the past year and honor the special contributions made by some of its volunteers.

Volunteers of the Year

Prior to moving to SaddleBrooke in 2017, Tony and Terry Lulek lived in Geneva, Ill. Tony spent 35 years working for Procter & Gamble, while Terry used her training in accounting as a business analyst for Western Electric and then as a consultant. Shortly after moving here in July, the Luleks became involved with SBCO, and by September, Terry was working as a Kids’ Closet volunteer, helping students select their wardrobes. Within two or three weeks, she became the warehouse manager for Thursday sessions. In November of that same year, Tony brought his organizational skills to the Scholarship Committee, helping to project future costs for scholarships. This year he has begun reviewing scholarship applications. Now he serves on the Scholarship, Enrichment, and Scholarship Endowment Committees.

Receptionist of the Year

John Williams, who was a dedicated SaddleBrooke Community Outreach volunteer for many years, died in August of 2022. However, his contribution to the organization has not been forgotten. John lived in SaddleBrooke for more than 20 years. And although he continued working for some of that time, he generously volunteered for SBCO, working at Kids’ Closet, helping with the Food Drive, and, finally, when he developed back issues, serving as a receptionist in the SBCO office. According to his sister, “John took his volunteer work very seriously. He loved SBCO and planned his schedule around his volunteer commitments. When I moved here, John brought me into the fold, sharing his dedication to the organization.” Susan herself was recognized as the SBCO Receptionist of the Year in 2020.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ann Coziahr moved to SaddleBrooke in December of 2001. She recalls, “I moved here as a widow and was unsure what I would do with the rest of my life. But it has never been a problem. Moving here was a great decision, and I’ve never looked back!” First, she volunteered for the SaddleBrooke Libraries where she continues to work. Then, in April of 2003, she attended the opening of the Golden Goose Thrift Shop and became a volunteer. Two months later, she agreed to join the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Board of Directors as assistant treasurer. As assistant treasurer, Ann worked with John Young as treasurer. In 2007 Ann was appointed to the Golden Goose Board of Directors where she was treasurer until 2010. After that, she served for 10 years as the Golden Goose representative for SBCO. For the past two years, she has served as SBCO executive vice president. Through the years, Ann has participated in the SBCO Walk-a-thon, Food Drive, Kids’ Closet, and Home Tours. As she notes, “I have now volunteered for the SBCO, the Goose, and SaddleBrooke Libraries for 20 years!”