Join SBCO in Celebrating Volunteers and 25 Years!
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
For 25 years, 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 years, the variety of programs we support, as well as the number of children served, has expanded dramatically.
On Monday, April 11, 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 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 assistance of time, talent, and funds. Refreshments (25th anniversary cupcakes!), a no-host bar, and special 25th anniversary door prizes will be provided. Attendees will be able to contribute ideas about the future of SBCO, 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 2022–23.
Plan now to join us in celebrating SBCO’s 25 years of making a difference in local communities and 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 11, have fun, and learn more about SBCO’s programs.
In addition to many other volunteer activities, Mike and Chris Havnaer serve as annual SBCO Food Drive unit captains.
Volunteers Use Their Skills to Help Others
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Mike and Chris Havnaer have served as Annual SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Food Drive unit captains for several years. They also volunteer for SBCO and other organizations using their time and talents to improve the lives of others.
Mike and Chris bought their home in SaddleBrooke in 2001. “We’re ‘snowbirds,’ or some would say ‘rainbirds’ because we spend the rest of the year in Seattle.” Mike spent 32 years as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, retiring as a senior vice president in 2001. Their first experience volunteering for SBCO was with Kids’ Closet. In addition to being the Food Drive captains for Unit 12 for several years, they host a charity brunch in their unit with all admission proceeds being donated to the Tri-Community Food Bank. “In fact,” Mike noted, “our last effort raised almost $5,000.”
Mike and Chris have also volunteered with Catalina Community Services delivering Meals on Wheels to seniors, providing transportation services, and working in the clothing bank. For many years, Mike has been involved in a jail ministry serving the inmates at the Pinal County Adult Detention facility in Florence. Chris makes greeting cards for their church and service organizations and has been involved in the organization and planning of their unit’s social activities.
According to Mike, “I find volunteer work to be deeply satisfying. Somewhere along the way I ran across an old adage that seems to be a good definition of volunteerism: ‘Reach out, lift up, give back.’ Simply knowing that you have helped someone is highly rewarding. Perhaps our world has become too inwardly focused and selfish, but if we ‘Love thy neighbors as ourselves’ we find the idea of serving others to be a natural imperative.
Mike and Chris find that one of the best qualities of SaddleBrooke is the caring, giving spirit of the community. Volunteering with SBCO offers the opportunity to help sustain this aspect of living here.