Nancy McCluskey-Moore
The SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) annual Food Drive is accepting donations of food, as well as money, to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves needy families living in Mammoth, San Manuel, Oracle, and the Dudleyville/Aravaipa area. On a monthly basis, TCFB serves about 530 households (1,565 people). In the Tri-Community area, 20% of households live below the poverty level, and 10% are below 50% of the poverty level. Recent increases in the cost of gasoline, food, and utilities have a significant impact on families already struggling to make ends meet.
Monetary contributions can be made online or with checks. Online donations can be made at the SBCO website community-outreach.org. Checks, made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (please put your unit number on the memo line), can be delivered to your food drive unit captain or mailed or hand-delivered to the SBCO office at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L., Tucson, AZ 85739 (in the SaddleBrooke business complex). Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All monetary donations go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. SBCO and TCFB are both all-volunteer organizations and are IRS 501(c)(3) and Arizona nonprofit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax-deductible.
On Saturday, March 16, food donations need to be placed at the curb for pick-up by 8 a.m. These donations will be taken to the MountainView Clubhouse parking lot for sorting, boxing, and delivery.
TCFB requests that we do not donate the following:
Flour
Sugar
Any item with an expiration prior to 2022
Items in glass containers
Fresh fruit or vegetables
Used or opened packages
Also this year, each unit will be given suggested products to donate, including preferred sizes. Flyers will be customized by unit number. For example, Unit 1/1A will be asked to donate peanut butter and jelly, Unit 2 will be asked to donate canned soup, etc. This will help ensure TCFB receives the desired items in usable quantities.
If you would like to volunteer for the food drive, please contact Andrea Stephens and Betty Ryan at [email protected].