SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Happenings – November 2023

Superior High School students David Drennan (left) and Nathan Taylor (right) were able to attend the National FBLA Conference in Atlanta, Ga., thanks to an enrichment grant provided by SBCO.

SBCO Grant Enables Students to Attend Future Business Leaders of America Competition

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

This past spring, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) awarded a $4,000 enrichment grant to the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Club of Superior Junior/Senior High School in Superior, Ariz. The grant allowed two students who placed third in state-level competitions to travel to the National Conference in Atlanta, Ga., during the summer.

Nathan Taylor, a senior, competed in the job interview category at the national level, while David Drennan, a junior, competed in the community service project category. They both ranked in the top three for the State of Arizona in their competitions for the 2022–23 school year. This was Superior’s first time at Nationals for FBLA. Since this event is also a leadership conference, the students had opportunities to network with 10,000 other students from around the country and attend leadership training sessions.

Cameron Vines, FBLA sponsor and student advisor at the junior/senior high school said, “FBLA is the career and technical student organization for our business management program. Each year we recruit students to do community service events and compete in FBLA regional and state competitions, helping them learn valuable life skills.”

“The students involved in FBLA,” noted Christine Martinez, business management teacher at Superior Junior/Senior High School, “gain a sense of accomplishment in successfully planning, executing, and documenting their community service projects. We strive to provide our students with the skills needed to further their education and attain their career goals.”

Both teachers stated, “SaddleBrooke Community Outreach was instrumental in helping provide the money for the airfare to and from Atlanta. Raising money in our school can be tough since our school is so small and everyone is always fundraising for something. We really appreciate your donation and all that you do for the students in our community, including Teen Closet and the SBCO scholarship that many of our students, including Nathan Taylor, have received.”

SBCO annually awards grants to schools and community organizations in the Copper Corridor, an area stretching from Catalina north to Globe, Ariz. During the past 26 years, SBCO has awarded $650,000 in grants for a variety of programs, including mathematics, reading, Gifted and Talented, music, art, summer camp, field trips, swimming lessons, and softball.

Volunteer elves buy, wrap, and deliver Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Child gifts.

Support Adopt-a-Family to Make the Holidays Brighter

Kim Seales

For many years, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has provided Christmas gifts and clothing to families in the Tri-Community area and to children on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. This year the need is greater than ever. Through the generosity of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents, gifts and clothing on family wish lists will again be purchased.

While several units within SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch have always been a part of these projects, we hope more units will join in this sharing opportunity in 2023. Please contribute by Nov. 15.

When contributing, it is important that you specify either “Adopt-a-Family” or “Adopt-a-Child” on your donation.

• Adopt-a-Family provides gifts to children and families in Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle.

• Adopt-a-Child provides gifts to children on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

There are three ways to contribute:

1) By credit card online community-outreach.org and clicking the “Adopt-a-Family” or “Adopt-a-Child” button on the lower center of the home page, then clicking “Click Here to Donate Online” and filling in the information on the donation page (including your unit number).

2) Send or take a check payable to SBCO (with “Adopt-a-Family” or “Adopt-a-Child” and your unit noted on the check) directly to the SBCO office at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L, Tucson, AZ 85739; phone: 520-825-3302. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

3) If you have a representative who is coordinating the Adopt-a-Family or Adopt-a-Child program for your unit, you may give the check to your representative.

One hundred percent of the money donated will be used to purchase gifts for needy families and children. There is no overhead charge for this project. Your contributions are tax-deductible. The tax ID for SaddleBrooke Community Outreach is 86-0843458. A receipt will be mailed to you.

Thank you in advance for your generous contribution!

For more information or to volunteer to help, email Kim Seales at [email protected].

Donate to SBCO and Make a Difference!

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

For more than 25 years, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has been providing young people in local communities with opportunities to succeed through programs that provide food, clothing, enrichment grants, and scholarships. We serve youngsters living in the “Copper Corridor,” mining towns stretching more than 100 miles from Catalina to Globe.

Programs implemented by our all-volunteer organization:

Food: Our annual Food Drive collects funds (and donated food) for the Tri-Community Food Bank, and we deliver holiday food baskets to families in Oracle, San Manuel, and Mammoth.

Kids’ Closet: Twice a year, children from pre-K to 8th grade receive new shoes, clothing, and toiletries, plus a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies.

Teen Closet: Twice a year, students from 9th through 12th grade receive a $250 shopping budget for clothing and school supplies. Graduating seniors receive an additional shopping trip to prepare for college or work.

Education Enrichment: Grants are given to schools and community organizations to supplement the school curriculum with instructional experiences in science, math, and the arts, as well as summer school, books, and recreational opportunities.

Scholarships: We grant two- and four-year college scholarships to deserving high school seniors. Students in a two-year program receive $1,800 per year, and those in a four-year program receive $3,600. This year alone we granted 53 scholarships!

Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Child: Annually these programs collect funds from SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents that volunteers then use to purchase, wrap, and deliver gifts (or gift cards) to families in Oracle, San Manuel, and the parents/guardians of children attending elementary schools in Oracle, San Manuel, Kearny, Winkelman, San Carlos, and Apache Tribal Social Services.

Your financial contribution to SBCO can make a big difference in many children’s lives. Since SBCO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax ID #86-0843458), all contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Contributions are also eligible for the Arizona Tax Credit for Contributions to Charities that Provide Assistance to the Working Poor.

Your donation will be acknowledged. If you make a gift on behalf of a friend or family member, in memory of a special person, or in honor of an event or person, an acknowledgement also will be sent to the appropriate person or his/her family.

You can make a secure online donation at community-outreach.org using your credit card or your PayPal account (a PayPal account is not required to make a donation). Or a donation can be made by delivering or sending a check (made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach or SBCO) to: SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, Inc.

63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L.

Tucson, AZ 85739

On behalf of many local children, we thank you for your support.