Annual Food Drive Kicks Off on March 6
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
The SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) annual Food Drive will this year 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, Oracle, and the Dudleyville/Aravaipa area. Donations from SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch helped to provide bimonthly emergency food boxes for 530 households (1,565 people) during 2022. The Food Bank served 477 children and 340 seniors in the past year. On a monthly basis, TCFB serves about 400 households (1,190 people). The rising cost of gasoline, food, and utilities over the past year have created an even greater financial burden for these families.
This year, SBCO will be collecting monetary contributions online or with checks from March 6 through March 18. Online donations can be made at the SBCO website: community-outreach.org.
Checks, made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, can be delivered to Food Drive unit captains or mailed/hand delivered to the SBCO office at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd, Suite L., Tucson, AZ 85739 (in the SaddleBrooke business complex). Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All monetary donations go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. SBCO and TCFB are both all-volunteer organizations and are IRS 501(c)(3) and AZ nonprofit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.
On Saturday, March 18, food donations need to be placed at the curb for pick up by 8 a.m. These donations will be taken to the MountainView Clubhouse parking lot for sorting, boxing, and delivery to TCFB.
If you live in SaddleBrooke and would like to volunteer for the Food Drive, please contact Andrea Stephens at [email protected]. SaddleBrooke Ranch residents should contact Betty Ryan at [email protected].
One Person Can Make a Big Difference
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
For the past 25 years SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has been providing children in nearby communities with opportunities to succeed through programs that provide food, clothing, enrichment grants, and scholarships. But to be effective, these programs require two key resources: committed volunteers and financial support from the SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch communities.
Since 2013, SBCO has been raising funds through the annual Make a Difference campaign. Dorothy Moore, who gave the fundraising effort its name, led Make a Difference until 2016, when Shawne Cryderman took over. The results achieved with this fundraising campaign have been significant and much needed—of the 14 schools served by SBCO, all are Title I Schools, meaning at least 40% of the students come from low-income families. In some schools, the figure is as high as 90%.
In the fiscal year 2021-22 (July 2021 through June 2022), Make a Difference donations totaled $173,778.67, which represented 89% of all donations to SBCO. A total of 319 individuals and clubs contributed funds. The money raised was enough to cover the cost of Kids’ Closet purchases for more than seven months.
Now, in the first half of the 2022-2023 fiscal year (July through December 2022), Make a Difference donations exceed $80,000 with 185 individuals and clubs contributing. This total represents 87% of all donations made to SBCO in the first six months of this fiscal year.
The SBCO Board of Directors, our more than 300 volunteers and—most of all, the kids we help—deeply appreciate those who have contributed to Make a Difference. But we also recognize the campaign’s success is due to Shawne Cryderman leading this effort for nearly seven years. Promoting the campaign, tracking donations, and ensuring donors are properly thanked is a challenging task and one that Shawne has managed handily for a very long time. She clearly demonstrates that one person can make a huge difference in the lives of others.
If you would like to make a contribution to Make a Difference, you can mail or deliver a check made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach to 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L, Tucson, AZ 85739 (the office is in the SaddleBrooke business center). Or you can make a secure online donation on our website: community-outreach.org. Simply click on the “Donate” button and pay using your credit card or your PayPal account (a PayPal account is not required to make a donation).
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 (AZ Tax Credit Code 20214).
SBCO Benefits from SaddleBrooke Ranchers’ Casino Night Party
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Once again Jacqueline and Patrick Fancher took a chance and hosted a casino night for their SaddleBrooke Ranch neighbors. As with their party in 2022, their goal was to have fun with friends while raising money for SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO).
Jacqueline and Patrick, who moved to SaddleBrooke Ranch in October 2020 from Hollister, Calif., were first inspired to host a fundraiser after attending an SBCO information meeting held at the Ranch. As Jacqueline said, “Giving back adds purpose to my life.”
For this year’s casino night, the Fanchers hired Phoenix-based Diamond Dave’s Casino Events and hosted 40 people. Each guest contributed $20 for $100 in gambling chips, of which 100% was donated to SBCO. Even those who did not gamble donated to the cause. This year, the event raised $3,305.
Patrick and Jacqueline want to thank all of their SaddleBrooke Ranch pals for making this fundraiser a success. Both Jacqueline and Patrick said, “Like last year, we had a good time hosting this fundraiser.” And SBCO thanks the Fanchers for helping to support our efforts to provide local kids with opportunities to succeed.
Annual Party Celebrates SBCO Scholarship Students
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Each December, the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) education committee invites its college scholarship students and their guests to a pizza party. The event, held at Kids’ Closet in Mammoth, is an opportunity for SBCO to recognize the students’ academic achievements and for the students to visit with their education committee liaisons and other students. The timing of the event coincides with the students’ winter break when many come home to visit family for the holidays.
This year, the party was attended by 28 students, more than one-third of the students currently under scholarship. More than 70 people, including students’ guests, members of the SBCO education committee and board of directors, along with their spouses, joined in the gathering. In attendance was Katerina Frye, who received a scholarship while completing her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Johns Hopkins University. She also has received a graduate school scholarship, funded by the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund, for a master’s in creative writing at New York University. Katerina spoke eloquently about how support from SBCO has helped her achieve her academic and career goals.
To see photos of the pizza party and learn more about SBCO’s scholarship program, visit community-outreach.org.