Each year, SBCO Food Drive volunteers sort, box, and deliver thousands of pounds of donations to Tri-Community Food Bank.
Save the date for the 22nd annual Food Drive on March 21
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
On Saturday, March 21, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) volunteers will once again gather donations of food and money to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves needy families living in Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle. Our community’s donations help to provide monthly emergency food boxes to 338 households (1,092 people). All monetary contributions go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. SBCO and TCFB are all-volunteer organizations and are IRS 501(c)(3) and AZ non-profit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.
TCFB meets a real need in the Tri-Community area, where 20% of households live below the poverty level and 10% are below 50% of the poverty level. It’s hard to provide food for your family, keep a roof over your head, and buy gas to drive to your job if you don’t earn enough to cover these daily living expenses.
You can contribute to the food drive in either of two ways:
* Make a monetary donation with a check made payable to SBCO Food Drive and write your unit number on the memo line. You can mail it to SBCO, 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Ste. L, Tucson, AZ 85739 or deliver it to the SBCO office at Ste. L.
* Leave bagged food donations at your curb by 8:30 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. You also can attach a check to your bagged food donation.
More detailed information about the drive is forthcoming, but if you would like to volunteer to assist with the drive, please contact Andrea Stephens at [email protected] or 520-818-9306.
The gift that keeps on giving
Ron Andrea
Too many holiday gifts are gratefully opened, enjoyed for a bit, but soon forgotten.
This year, consider giving a different kind of gift – one that won’t be forgotten and will be appreciated for generations.
Those of us over 70.5 years of age are required each year to take a distribution from our IRAs so Uncle Sam can realize his share of our savings. This distribution is not only added to our taxable income (and therefore our annual tax bill), but it may even push us into a higher tax bracket.
This year, consider asking your financial institution to send a portion of your IRA distribution directly to the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Scholarship Endowment Fund. Distributions sent directly from your financial institution (i.e., Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) to a qualified charity, such as SBCO, are exempt from federal taxes. This may not only reduce your end-of-year federal tax obligation, but may also prevent your distribution from placing you in a higher tax bracket. (As always, check with your tax advisor to determine the actual impact this donation will have on your taxes.) There is a minimum requirement of $5000 in order to donate to the Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Only the interest earned on your donation is used to fund local scholarships, so your actual donation continues to provide scholarship assistance to local students for generations. Unlike other gifts you may be giving this holiday season, a gift of education is both timeless and priceless – and most certainly will not be forgotten.
For more information about the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Program, contact Ron Andrea at 520-904-4831 or [email protected].
Happy holidays from your friends at SaddleBrooke Community Outreach!
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach – making a difference every year
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) had a very productive year in 2019. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, we were able to make a significant difference in the lives of many children and their families.
* Kid’s Closet provided clothing, backpacks, and books to 2,982 children from 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. This year, Kid’s Closet transitioned to a bar code system for tracking clothing from the time it is received until it is distributed. Computerization has simplified purchasing and inventory management while improving team communication. Inventory management is very important, but sometimes in computer transit, there can be a problem with the inventory and that’s why software from companies like ServiceMax who deal in repair tracking software can help businesses who are in need of these services.
* Teen Closet gave 81 wardrobes to eligible 8th grade and high school students in our service area. Since 2007 we have given 721 sets of school-appropriate clothing to area teens. This year Teen Closet helped students from Kearny and Superior shop at the Walmart in Clayton, while students from Winkleman came to Oro Valley to shop.
* Our Educational Enrichment programs support academic, sports, travel, and cultural programs and vision screening. Grants were given to the Mammoth/San Manuel School District for education, clubs, transportation, and music opportunities. Support for a bookshelf reading program and language arts opportunities were given to Ray School District. Oracle School District received funding for academics, a sewing club, and preschool projects. Coronado K-8 School requested funds for school trips, science programs, and music instruction. Funds were granted to Iron Ridge High School for math tutoring. A grant to Youth on Their Own (which helps homeless youth complete high school) supported Pinal County students enrolled at Coronado K-8 and Iron Ridge High School.
* College Scholarships During the 2019-2020 school year, a total of 86 students will be receiving SBCO scholarships, 75 for four-year degrees and 11 for two-year degrees. Scholarships are provided as long as the student maintains a full course load and the required GPA. This year, a “second chance” scholarship was approved for students who failed to meet grade requirements during the first year, but subsequently demonstrated a commitment to their education. SBCO also instituted a Scholarship Endowment program that allows donations of $5,000 or higher to be designated to fund scholarships in perpetuity.
* SBCO manages the receipt and distribution of monetary donations for The Adopt A Family program. This allows donors to contribute to a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. SaddleBrooke residents “adopt” families, purchase and wrap gifts, and load them into vans and cars for delivery. The program includes families in the Tri Community area of Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle, as well as youngsters on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
* This year the Community Food Drive collected 25,000 pounds of nonperishable items for the Tri Community Food Bank, along with cash donations of $70,000. This joint effort with SaddleBrooke Ranch was the largest collection of food and cash in the history of the event.
* In addition to the food drive, SBCO also supplies Thanksgiving Food Baskets to families in Oracle identified by school personnel. Each family receives a turkey with all the trimmings and pies. Large families are given sufficient amounts of food for everyone. All food is delivered in large plastic laundry baskets that the recipients can continue to use. This year we provided 62 families with the full meal.
SBCO is grateful to the residents of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch who have so generously contributed their time, talents and funds to ensure that life is much better for people in nearby communities.
Save the date for the 22nd annual Food Drive on March 21
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
On Saturday, March 21, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) volunteers will once again gather donations of food and money to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves needy families living in Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle. Our community’s donations help to provide monthly emergency food boxes to 338 households (1,092 people). All monetary contributions go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. SBCO and TCFB are all-volunteer organizations and are IRS 501(c)(3) and AZ non-profit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.
TCFB meets a real need in the Tri-Community area, where 20% of households live below the poverty level and 10% are below 50% of the poverty level. It’s hard to provide food for your family, keep a roof over your head, and buy gas to drive to your job if you don’t earn enough to cover these daily living expenses.
You can contribute to the food drive in either of two ways:
* Make a monetary donation with a check made payable to SBCO Food Drive and write your unit number on the memo line. You can mail it to SBCO, 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Ste. L, Tucson, AZ 85739 or deliver it to the SBCO office at Ste. L.
* Leave bagged food donations at your curb by 8:30 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. You also can attach a check to your bagged food donation.
More detailed information about the drive is forthcoming, but if you would like to volunteer to assist with the drive, please contact Andrea Stephens at [email protected] or 520-818-9306.
The gift that keeps on giving
Ron Andrea
Too many holiday gifts are gratefully opened, enjoyed for a bit, but soon forgotten.
This year, consider giving a different kind of gift – one that won’t be forgotten and will be appreciated for generations.
Those of us over 70.5 years of age are required each year to take a distribution from our IRAs so Uncle Sam can realize his share of our savings. This distribution is not only added to our taxable income (and therefore our annual tax bill), but it may even push us into a higher tax bracket.
This year, consider asking your financial institution to send a portion of your IRA distribution directly to the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Scholarship Endowment Fund. Distributions sent directly from your financial institution (i.e., Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) to a qualified charity, such as SBCO, are exempt from federal taxes. This may not only reduce your end-of-year federal tax obligation, but may also prevent your distribution from placing you in a higher tax bracket. (As always, check with your tax advisor to determine the actual impact this donation will have on your taxes.) There is a minimum requirement of $5000 in order to donate to the Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Only the interest earned on your donation is used to fund local scholarships, so your actual donation continues to provide scholarship assistance to local students for generations. Unlike other gifts you may be giving this holiday season, a gift of education is both timeless and priceless – and most certainly will not be forgotten.
For more information about the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Program, contact Ron Andrea at 520-904-4831 or [email protected].
Happy holidays from your friends at SaddleBrooke Community Outreach!
Participants in the SBCO Walkathon traversed the Ridgeview loop on a beautiful fall morning.
SBCO – making a difference every year
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) had a very productive year in 2019. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, we were able to make a significant difference in the lives of many children and their families.
* Kid’s Closet provided clothing, backpacks, and books to 2,982 children from 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. This year, Kid’s Closet transitioned to a bar code system for tracking clothing from the time it is received until it is distributed. Computerization has simplified purchasing and inventory management while improving team communication.
* Teen Closet gave 81 wardrobes to eligible 8th grade and high school students in our service area. Since 2007 we have given 721 sets of school-appropriate clothing to area teens. This year Teen Closet helped students from Kearny and Superior shop at the Walmart in Clayton, while students from Winkleman came to Oro Valley to shop.
* Our Educational Enrichment programs support academic, sports, travel, and cultural programs and vision screening. Grants were given to the Mammoth/San Manuel School District for education, clubs, transportation, and music opportunities. Support for a bookshelf reading program and language arts opportunities was given to Ray School District. Oracle School District received funding for academics, a sewing club, and preschool projects. Coronado K-8 School requested funds for school trips, science programs, and music instruction. Funds were granted to Iron Ridge High School for math tutoring. A grant to Youth on Their Own (which helps homeless youth complete high school) supported Pinal County students enrolled at Coronado K-8 and Iron Ridge High School.
* College Scholarships During the 2019-2020 school year, a total of 86 students will be receiving SBCO scholarships, 75 for four-year degrees and 11 for two-year degrees. Scholarships are provided as long as the student maintains a full course load and the required GPA. This year, a “second chance” scholarship was approved for students who failed to meet grade requirements during the first year, but subsequently demonstrated a commitment to their education. SBCO also instituted a Scholarship Endowment program that allows donations of $5,000 or higher to be designated to fund scholarships in perpetuity.
* SBCO manages the receipt and distribution of monetary donations for The Adopt A Family program. This allows donors to contribute to a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. SaddleBrooke residents “adopt” families, purchase and wrap gifts, and load them into vans and cars for delivery. The program includes families in the Tri Community area of Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle, as well as youngsters on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
* This year the Community Food Drive collected 25,000 pounds of nonperishable items for the Tri Community Food Bank, along with cash donations of $70,000. This joint effort with SaddleBrooke Ranch was the largest collection of food and cash in the history of the event.
* In addition to the food drive, SBCO also supplies Thanksgiving Food Baskets to families in Oracle identified by school personnel. Each family receives a turkey with all the trimmings and pies. Large families are given sufficient amounts of food for everyone. All food is delivered in large plastic laundry baskets that the recipients can continue to use. This year we provided 62 families with the full meal.
SBCO is grateful to the residents of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch who have so generously contributed their time, talents and funds to ensure that life is much better for people in nearby communities.