Smile as you shop program benefits needy children
Emilie Siarkiewicz
Did you know that your purchases on Amazon.com can benefit needy children in our neighboring communities?
Amazon has a program called AmazonSmile whereby they will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know: same products, same prices and same service.
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) is a 501(c)(3) organization that qualifies to receive AmazonSmile donations. All you have to do is sign up by going to smile.amazon.com and either open a new account or refer to an existing account.
Closer to home, shopping at Bashas’ is another way to help clothe and educate children in the SBCO service area extending from Catalina to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Using a Bashas’ Community Support Card results in 6% of the dollars you spend coming to SBCO to support its programs. Cards are available at the SBCO Office Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for $5. The card comes with $5 already loaded on it. To add more money to the card, stop at the Customer Service Desk in the store. The 6% will be credited to SBCO at that time, not as you use the card at the check-out register. Please note that cards obtained at the Bashas’ Customer Service Desk, rather than at the SBCO Office, will not credit SBCO.
By using AmazonSmile and/or a Bashas’ card, you can smile as you shop knowing that you are helping needy children.
Can recycling
Emilie Siarkiewicz
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has been collecting and recycling aluminum cans for many years to help fund its programs.
A large collection container is located near the RV storage lot and pickleball courts off Ridgeview Boulevard. You can drop off your empty soda and beer cans any time of day or night, seven days a week. But please – no plastic or paper bags or boxes. Empty the box or bag and take it home! Every bag left in the container results in a penalty fee which is deducted from the amount SBCO receives.
P.S. You can also help support another worthy cause by removing the tabs from the cans before putting them in the recycling container; then drop off the tabs at the SBCO Office in Suite L in the SaddleBrooke shopping center. We will see that they get to the Tucson Ronald McDonald House.
Golf ball sales help kids
Emilie Siarkiewicz
Need golf balls? Have we got a deal for you!
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) is selling a dozen golf balls for only $5! They are recycled balls retrieved from bunkers, water hazards, back yards and places where most humans dare not go. They have been cleaned and sorted by guys who know a good ball from a bad one and they are ready and waiting to play another round.
The balls are available at Strandz Salon & Spa in the commercial center 63701 E. SaddleBrooke Boulevard and from Jim Handrigan, 62247 E. Rangewood Drive, 825-8142 and John Michels, 62200 E. Valley Crest Court, 825-1409. If you have golf balls you want to get rid of you may drop them off at these locations.
Sale of the golf balls helps fund SBCO’s Kids’ Closet, education programs and food programs. To find out more about these programs visit community-outreach.org.
News from Kids’ Closet
Patrick Polencheck
Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers, this year’s fall season ended on November 16. The Closet supplied 1,347 wardrobes to needy school children in our area. Additionally, wardrobes were provided to 11 students that were in desperate need due to some unforeseen circumstance in the family and 26 bags for teens that are being released from juvenile corrections.
Monday, Thursday and some Saturdays the volunteers gathered in the parking lot at the MountainView Clubhouse for their 30 mile journey to our facility in Mammoth. Depending on the number of students scheduled, it will usually take from four to five hours for each session. During this season we welcomed many new and energetic volunteers including several from SaddleBrooke Ranch. Aside from being a very rewarding effort, one also gets great satisfaction from the interaction with the young folks. If you wish to be a Kids’ Closet volunteer, please feel free to contact SaddleBrooke Community Outreach located at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Boulevard (Suite L) or call 520-825-3302.
The spring season will begin on Monday, January 25, 2016, and end on Thursday, April 7, 2016. During the spring season we will outfit the kids with spring and summer clothing.
School Volunteer Fair
Richard Hicks
On November 16, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, in proud partnership with four area schools, hosted its first School Volunteer Fair in the West Ballroom of MountainView Clubhouse. The purpose was to introduce SaddleBrooke residents to volunteer opportunities at the schools and how they could help make a difference with students.
Representatives from the schools included Dennis Blauser, Superintendent of Oracle School District No. 2, John Ryan, Superintendent at Mammoth San Manuel, Gerard Ball, Principal at Coronado K-8 and Julie Dale-Scott, Principal of San Manuel Junior/Senior High School. Natalie Burnett, Principal of Ironwood Ridge High School, was unable to participate but provided information outlining volunteer opportunities at her school. Each speaker described their school’s need for volunteers and opportunities to help, such as math and reading tutors, library aides, playground monitors, administrative assistants and help with sports programs. Sign-up sheets were available for each school.
After the meeting, light refreshments were served and residents were able to mingle and ask questions of the school representatives. If you missed the meeting and are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities, please contact Richard Hicks at [email protected] or phone 520-825-7054 and he will pass your name on to the school.