SaddleBrooke Community Outreach President Stephen Groth making a presentation to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary
Susan King
“It’s all about the kids,” SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) President Stephen Groth explained in a presentation to the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary. Stephen gave the Rotary an overview of the positive and life-changing services SBCO provides, including food bank donations, books, clothes and various scholarship opportunities. SBCO focuses mainly on the Copper Corridor where students often miss school because of the lack of proper attire. Children in the various schools receive new clothes, shoes and backpacks. Bookshelves and book donations have been given to the various schools, and some books are sent home, as some students have never read a book or owned one. Competitive scholarships are offered to two- and four-year institutions totaling up to $10,000 per year, giving hope to students that they can be successful beyond their current situation. Stephen related that if a student wasn’t meeting third grade reading requirements, chances are that, without intervention, they could be on a path straight to prison.
Stephen indicated the SBCO was started by seven women in SaddleBrooke and is run totally by volunteers. A major source of funding for the SBCO is from the thrift shop, The Golden Goose. The Golden Goose is also primarily run by volunteers, and their net profits are split between SBCO and Impact. Stephen applauded the Rotary for their volunteer work with the Golden Goose and encouraged members to also volunteer with SBCO and look for opportunities to partner with them. This year’s SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary focus is on childhood literacy, and plans are to continue working on the food bank collections and other opportunities to help children in the Copper Corridor and other needy areas. Stephen left us with a thought about the three stages of life: learning, earning and returning. He reminded us of our wonderful retirement life in our community and urged us all to keep on “returning” and encouraging others to join us.
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary meets every Thursday at 8:00 a.m. in the east room in the MountainView Bistro. Please join us!