Joe Murdock, Ellen Perkins, David Wisniewski and Sam Carmen are surrounded by gifts for Apache Indian children to be delivered to the San Carlos Reservation.
Adopt a Child 2015
Ken and Ellen Perkins
Despite the fact that it is only September, it’s time to begin thinking about Christmas! To be more specific, it’s time to start preparing for the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Adopt a Child project. Unfortunately, with unemployment near 80% on the San Carlos Reservation, Apache Indian children are severely impacted. SBCO Adopt a Child tries to brighten the lives of children on the San Carlos Indian Reservation. Your continued help and generosity are needed more than ever.
Most of the children are of elementary and middle school age and will be identified by Tribal Social Services agents and school counselors. The suggested donation is $60 to $70 per child with roughly half of that spent for a special gift or toy and the other half spent on durable play clothes. (The children are all very needy.)
Last year the SBCO Adopt a Child project provided gifts for 190 Apache children on the San Carlos Reservation. If your unit wasn’t involved last year, but would like to participate this year, please call for additional information. It’s fun and very rewarding! There is no overhead charge for this project so 100% of gifts and cash donations go to needy families and children. SaddleBrooke Community Outreach is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization. Tax I.D. No. 86-0843458. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Contributions to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach are also eligible for the Arizona Tax Credit for contributions to Charities that Provide Assistance to the Working Poor. Contact your tax advisor for advice on your specific tax situation.
We would like to invite any and all of you to join us in this worthy cause. We need donations but we also need help with shopping, wrapping and delivery. We think you will find shopping with a friend for the things that the children have requested can be both fun and rewarding. Please join us in this journey which is guaranteed to fill you with the holiday spirit!
We are out of town for the summer but please let us know if you can help. You can reach us by email: [email protected] or by cell phone: 520-300-1092.
Help staff the office
Pat Andrea
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) is in need of volunteers to serve as receptionists at the Outreach Office, Suite L, in the SaddleBrooke Plaza. You choose the days and hours you would like to work and you can vary your schedule from month to month. Receptionists work in three hour shifts, (9:00 a.m. to noon or noon to 3:00 p.m.) and we are very flexible. We are looking for snowbirds as well as full time residents.
The job is easy; sit at the desk, answer the phone, collect dues and donations, answer questions about SBCO programs and sign for packages delivered by UPS and FedEx. The office is often quiet, so it is also a great time to catch up on emails (we have Wi-Fi!), reading, knitting or any other portable activity that suits your fancy.
Training takes about an hour and is done at your convenience. Please contact Pat Andrea at 520-904-4832 or via email at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to be trained as an SBCO receptionist.
Summer food program for Mammoth area students
Patrick Polencheck
Once the regular school session ended, the federally funded breakfast and lunch programs which provided healthy and nutritional foods for most of the students in the Mammoth ended. The SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Board of Directors has been concerned about the kids for the past few years. The Board decided to try a pilot summer food program; Paula Morgan volunteered to coordinate this effort and establish guideless for implementation. Paula met with local residents, parents and school administrators to determine the guidelines and how the students qualified for the program and those most in need of support for the summer.
It was determined by the group that each eligible child would receive food for two weeks of breakfasts and lunches. The food was delivered in recycle bags and included in each bag were individual breakfast cereals, granola bars, fruit roll ups, raisins, peanut butter and cheese crackers, ramen noodles and shelled sunflower seeds. The recycle bags were a reminder to the parents/kids to return in two weeks to get resupplied. The parents were also provided a reminder card with the pickup dates and times. Distributions were done at Kids’ Closet on four Saturdays starting on May 30 and ending on June 25.
The food was purchased and at Basha’s Market in Catalina and transported to Kids’ Closet. The SBCO Board extends our thanks and appreciation to Basha’s Market and their staff for all their support. The items were picked up on the Wednesday prior to the Saturday distribution day. On arrival at Kids’ Closet, SaddleBrooke volunteers Paula and Frank Morgan, Terri and Bob Kunz, Sandra and Patrick Polencheck and Melanie Stout sorted the food items and into the recycle bags. On the Saturday distribution days Karen Stott, Winnie Clay, Terri Kunz and Paula and Frank Morgan distributed the summer food bags to the eligible families.
The SBCO Board considered this a successful pilot program and many lessons were learned. The Board will be evaluating this program to determine if it will be continued in the future. Again, a huge thank you to Basha’s, school administrators and community volunteers for their support.
If you have questions, please contact Patrick Polencheck at 520-825-9123.
Jim Weeks enjoys shopping with a student.
Teens get new clothes
Mimi Sander
Once again the Teen Closet program sponsored by SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) had a very rewarding and successful shopping spree for selected teens this July. Teen Closet is a continuation of the Kids’ Closet program. This year we had a total of 40 students, of this 25 were returning students and there were 20 new students; 12 from Catalina and eight from Oracle. Of the returning students there were four who graduated this past spring and participated in their last shopping experience to assist them as they start their next stage of life in continuing their education. The shopping trip this year was at Target and Ross Dress for Less stores.
School administrators from Ironwood Ridge and Canyon Del Oro High Schools select the students based on need. To participate in the program, the teens must have good school attendance, maintain a C average, meet with their counselor and complete six hours of community service. Once selected for the program, if the students meet these requirements they may participate in the program throughout their high school years.
Each student is paired with a community volunteer who helps the teen stay within a given budget. All have a good time as the students prove to be savvy, discriminating shoppers who work their own personal style and needs into their school’s requirement codes. Many of the paired volunteer/students couplings request to shop together at the next Teen Closet shopping expedition. One of the couples, Melody and Jim Weeks of SaddleBrooke, claim that being a shopper for Teen Closet is one of their favorite SaddleBrooke activities. They marvel at the students’ abilities to overcome great obstacles to succeed and thrive. It is a rewarding time for all participants.
If you are interested in volunteering for Teen Closet, please contact Mimi Sander at 825-4557.
Santa on the kitchen counter
Holiday Home Tour
Nan Nasser
If you didn’t believe in Santa Claus you might begin when you see the many Santas in this special SaddleBrooke home, open for the SBCO Holiday Home Tour. That tour, sponsored by SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, will take place on Sunday, December 6. Tickets may be purchased at Suite L or via PayPal at www.community-outreach.org, beginning November 9 at a cost of $15 per person. Then on December 6 come to Suite L in the commercial center to pick up your booklet with maps and details and look around the holiday boutique in Suite L.
Would you like to be a docent, serving one 2 ½ hour shift at a home leaving you time to visit the others on display? Contact Betsy Lowry at 818-1011 to join the team and your ticket will be reduced to $7.50. You will also have time to come to the boutique.
The boutique is open from noon to 6:00 p.m. The house tour begins at 1:00 p.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. The boutique will close at 6:00 p.m. with many items reduced in price.
There are eight homes on the tour, including one with a Hanukah display and potato latkes! You will find all kinds of decorating themes that make this a colorful, happy time of year. Cookies and a beverage will also be offered at one of the homes. All proceeds from this nonprofit charity go to programs supporting needy children in neighboring communities.
A SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Adopt a Family wrapping party for Unit 49 (photo courtesy of Marge Wong).
Adopt A Family 2015
Ken and Ellen Perkins
Despite the fact that it is only September, it’s time to begin thinking about Christmas! To be more specific, it’s time to start preparing for the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Adopt a Family project. Unfortunately, many communities north of SaddleBrooke continue to suffer from high unemployment which severely impacts the lives of children living in the area. SBCO Adopt a Family tries to brighten the lives of children in the Tri-community area (Mammoth, San Manuel and Oracle). Your continued help and generosity are needed more than ever to help make a difference in the lives of some very needy children.
We work closely with the three elementary schools to ensure that the families are residents of the town and are needy. The suggested donation is $60 to $70 per child with roughly half of that spent for a special gift or toy and the other half spent on durable play clothes. (The children are very needy.) If you wish to adopt a family to shop for, we can assign you a family and wish list that will fit your budget. In an effort to make the donations go further, this year we will exclude adult children and grandparents (unless they are the legal guardians). “It is all about the kids.”
Last year the SBCO Adopt a Family project provided gifts for 90 families in the Tri-Community area. If your unit wasn’t involved last year, but would like to participate this year, please call for additional information. It’s fun and very rewarding! There is no overhead charge for this project so 100% of gifts and cash donations go to needy families and children. SaddleBrooke Community Outreach is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization. Tax I.D. No. 86-0843458. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Contributions to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach are also eligible for the Arizona Tax Credit for contributions to Charities that Provide Assistance to the Working Poor. Contact your tax advisor for advice on your specific tax situation.
We would like to invite any and all of you to join us in this worthy cause. We very much need donations and help with shopping, wrapping and delivery. We think you will find shopping with a friend for the things that the children have requested can be both fun and rewarding. Please join us in this journey which is guaranteed to fill you with the holiday spirit!
We are out of town for the summer but please let us know if you can help. You can reach us by email: [email protected] or by cell phone: 520-300-1092.