Help Feed Our Neighbors – Annual Food Drive on March 21
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Want to make a big difference in the lives of families in nearby communities? It’s easy – just participate in the 22nd annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Food Drive. On Saturday, March 21, volunteers will gather donations of food and money to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves 900 to 1000 people living in Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle. Those served include hungry children and their families, as well as seniors in need.
The donations made by SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents help to provide monthly emergency food boxes to 300 to 350 households. All monetary contributions go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. TCFB, like SBCO, is an all-volunteer, IRS 501(c)(3), and AZ non-profit charitable organization.
Bagged food donations should be left on your curb by 8 a.m. on March 21. They will be collected by volunteer unit captains and taken to the MountainView Clubhouse for sorting and transport to TCFB.
To make a monetary donation, you can write a check or make a donation online using a credit card. Make your check payable to “SBCO Food Drive” and write your unit number on the memo line. You can either attach the check to your food bag or mail/deliver it to SBCO, 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Ste. L, Tucson, AZ 85739. Donations also can be made online at community-outreach.org. You do not need to have a PayPal account to make an online donation to SBCO.
Donations to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach are tax deductible and may also contribute to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. Please consult with your tax advisor. The SBCO Tax Number is 86-0843458 and the AZ Tax Code is 20214.
If you would like to volunteer to assist with the drive, please contact Bob Wample at 559-696-3769 or [email protected] or Betty Ryan at 425-260-4418 or [email protected].
Clean Out Your Files – Shredding Event on April 11
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Eliminate your outdated paper files by bringing them to the shredding and recycling event on Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to noon (or until the truck is full). The event – hosted by Long Realty-Golder Ranch, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, and the Beacon Foundation – will be held on the SaddleBrooke One bocce ball courts.
All documents are put into containers at the drop-off site to protect your privacy. The containers are locked and transported to the Beacon facility for shredding. In addition to documents, computer hard drives, which may still be inside computers or laptops, will be accepted for donation/recycling.
For each boxful of items delivered for shredding or recycling, please bring $5 or five cans of food. All donations of cash or food will benefit the Tri-Community Food Bank and the Beacon Group.
For more information, please contact Long Realty at 15250 N. Oracle Road, Ste. 110 or 520-665-4200.
Coronado K-8 band students use ukuleles and music stands provided by an SBCO educational grant.
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Expands Educational Opportunities for Local Students
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Each year the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Educational Committee fields a large number of grant requests from schools located in Catalina in Pima County through the Pinal County Copper Corridor, up to Superior, across to Miami, and down to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Gila County. Four new grant requests have recently been approved for funding.
Coronado K-8 School’s Vocal Music Department
This request for $2,000 is designed to promote reading music and music theory in Coronado K-8, located in Catalina. Guitars and recorders are used in the vocal music setting. For smaller hands at younger grades, the neck of a ukulele works best. Students can sing and play along, enhancing note and chord reading, accompaniment, strumming, ear training, harmonizing, and improvising. Fifty students in grades 3-8 will benefit from this grant. Since the ukuleles with cases each cost between $50 and $150, this grant allows for the purchase of 20 ukuleles at the $100 price range.
Mountain Vista K-8 Band and Orchestra
Mountain Vista K-8, located in Oracle, is starting a new after-school band program, along with its existing orchestral program. A total of 54 students, ages 9 through 14, will be participating in this new program. This $4,500 one-time grant will support the purchase of five new alto saxophones and cases.
Coronado K-8 Library Program
This first-time grant of $600 will expand the inventory of high-interest reading genres in the school’s library. This supplement of existing library resources will benefit 665 kids in grades 2 through 8. The school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will showcase these new books in a reading contest held at each grade level.
Ray High School Science Club
A grant for $5000 will be used to lower student costs for the annual Catalina Marine Trip and the Yosemite Natural Bridges Program. Fifty students from Kearny will participate in trips held April 7-11, 2020. The total cost of the program is $26,750. The district is able to supply $11,000 in bus services, while additional funds are secured via tax credit monies, fundraising, and parent contributions. This year the SBCO grant is greatly needed, because of the extended closure of the ARSCO mines.
Join SaddleBrooke Community Outreach in Celebrating Its Volunteers
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Since 1996, the mission of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has been to provide opportunities for kids to succeed. SBCO programs and grants focus on three things important to the success of children in need: food, clothing, and education. Over the past 20+ years, the variety of programs we support, as well as the number of children served, has expanded dramatically.
On Wednesday, April 8 at 3 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom, SBCO will honor the volunteers and supporters who have made it possible to annually serve a 100-mile corridor stretching from Catalina to Miami and San Carlos, which includes more than three counties, eight school districts, 17 schools, Head Start programs, and 4,000 youngsters.
It truly takes a village of committed individuals to impact so many young lives. This event is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the many SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents who have provided SBCO with much needed time, talent, and funds. Refreshments (with a no-host bar) and door prizes will be provided. Attendees will be able to visit with volunteers and meet members of the current and incoming board of directors. At the event, SBCO members will vote on the slate of officers for 2020-21.
Plan now to join us in celebrating the dedication of those who have made SBCO so successful.
This event is open to the public and no reservations are required. Just come on April 8, have fun, and learn more about SBCO’s programs.
Robert Casillas plans to use his scholarship to pursue a career in nursing.
Young Community Volunteer Earns SBCO Scholarship
Ron Andrea
Robert Casillas garnered a SaddleBrooke Community Outreach college scholarship through his hard work and community service. He graduated first in his high school class with a 4.0 grade point average and served as president of the student council. In addition to working part time for the Town of Hayden, Robert served as vice president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and organized and delivered food baskets to local families. He helped organize the local blood drive and volunteered with the Pinal County Youth Reading Program and the Little League baseball program.
Robert states, “Being the recipient of the Community Outreach Scholarship means that I am financially able to attend the University of Arizona to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. I knew that continuing my education would be costly and this scholarship will help me purchase many of the materials I need. I am honored that the SBCO Scholarship Committee chose me as a recipient and I sincerely appreciate their contribution to my future success.”
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach selects scholarship students based on their grades, community service, and financial need. They must also submit an essay explaining why they deserve the scholarship and submit letters of reference. As a final step, they are interviewed at their school by a team of SBCO volunteers from the scholarship committee.
“The Copper Corridor” north of SaddleBrooke is a series of small, rural communities that were devastated by the closing of copper mines. Over 25% of the families living in this area meet the federal definition of poverty. For the children in these families, education breaks the cycle of generational poverty and is the ticket to better lives for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren.
Please consider including the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Scholarship Program as a beneficiary in your estate plan. Because donations (minimum $5,000) continue to grow in perpetuity and only the interest is used for scholarships, donations continue to help deserving students for generations to come.
Other methods of donations are also available. For more information or to request a speaker for your group, contact Ron Andrea 520-904-4831 or email [email protected].