Volunteers sort, box up, and deliver to the Tri-Community Food Bank donations collected during the SBCO Annual Food Drive.
Help Others By Supporting the Annual SBCO Food Drive March 3-15
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
The SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) annual Food Drive is accepting donations of food as well as money to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves families in need living in Mammoth, San Manuel, Oracle, and the Dudleyville/Aravaipa area. Donations from SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch helped to provide bi-monthly emergency food boxes to an unduplicated count of 577 households (1,588 people) for the past calendar year. This means 4,702 food boxes were given out to 14,145 individuals. 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. Recent increases in the cost of gasoline, food, and utilities have a significant impact on families already struggling to make ends meet.
Monetary contributions can be made online or with checks. Online donations can be made at the SBCO website: community-outreach.org. Checks, made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (please put your unit number on the memo line), can be delivered to your Food Drive Unit Captain or mailed or 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 non-profit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.
On Saturday, March 15, 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. TCFB requests that we NOT DONATE: flour, items in glass containers, sugar, fresh fruit or vegetables, canned vegetables, rice, drinks, used or opened packages, any item with an expiration prior to 2023.
Each unit will be given suggested products to donate, including preferred sizes. Flyers will be customized by unit number. For example, Unit 1/1A will be asked to donate peanut butter and jelly, Unit 2 canned soup, etc. This will help ensure TCFB receives the desired items in usable quantities.
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 Marian Bianchini at [email protected].
In 2024, SBCO Home Tour attendees were able to see the dramatically remodeled living and dining rooms in the home of Wanda and Neil Green. (Photo by Kenya Glenn, KC Creative Design Photography)
Buy Your Tickets Now for the March 29 Home Tour
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
It’s time for the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Remodeled Home Tour! This annual event is a great way to collect ideas about how to improve traffic flow, expand storage options, create a space for guests, or simply modernize and beautify a home. This tour of six houses is designed to show you changes—large and small—that might inspire your own home improvements.
The Home Tour helps SBCO inform the SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch communities about its food, clothing, enrichment, and educational programs for children in nearby communities. It also helps SBCO recruit the volunteers needed to make these programs work. Tour attendees can choose between a morning (9 a.m. to noon) or afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) tour on Saturday, March 29. During those three hours, you’ll be able to visit all of the homes. In addition to viewing the latest interior design, you’ll see innovative bathroom and kitchen makeovers, casita additions, revised floor plans, and renovated outdoor living spaces.
On March 3, tickets for this much-anticipated annual event go on sale online at community-outreach.org. In-person sales, check or cash only, begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 24 in the SBCO office, Suite L in the SaddleBrooke business center on SaddleBrooke Blvd. With two tour times, 600 tickets have been made available. When tickets are purchased, buyers will need to indicate which showing (morning or afternoon) they will attend. Tickets cost $25 per person and are sold only to SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents.
Call your friends and make plans now before the tickets sell out!
We still could use a few more docents. If you would like to serve as a docent in one of the tour homes for the morning or afternoon session, please contact Lisa Urban at [email protected]. Docents receive free admission to the tour!
Taxes Done? Time to Shred Your Old Paperwork!
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
If you are weighed down by outdated paper files, get ready to lighten your load. Bring boxes or bags of paper to the Shredding and Recycling Event on Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to noon (or until the truck is full). The event, hosted by Long Realty-Golder Ranch, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, and the Beacon Foundation, will be held on the SaddleBrooke HOA One parking lot next to the bocce ball courts.
To protect your privacy, all documents are put into containers at the drop-off site. The containers are locked and transported to the Beacon facility for shredding. In addition to documents, only computer hard drives, which may still be inside computers or laptops, will be accepted for donation/recycling.
For each bag or box of items delivered for shredding or recycling, please bring $5 or five cans of food. All donations of cash or food will benefit the Tri-Community Food Bank and the Beacon Group.
For more information, please contact Long Realty at 15250 N. Oracle Road, #110 (in the Basha’s complex) or by calling 520–665–4200.
At the SBCO Annual Meeting in 2024, Dan and Andrea Stephens presented the funds raised during the SBCO Food Drive to Rosemary Douglas (left) from Tri-Community Food Bank.
Annual SBCO Celebration Set for April 14
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
On Monday, April 14 at 3 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) will honor the volunteers and supporters who have made it possible to annually serve children and their families living in the Copper Corridor stretching from Catalina to Globe, and San Carlos and Ft. Thomas. This area includes more than four counties, 10 school districts, and 22 schools.
For more than 27 years, the mission of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach has been to provide opportunities for kids to succeed. SBCO programs and grants focus on four things important to the success of children in need: food, clothing, enrichment and education. Over the years, the variety of programs we support, as well as the number of children served, has expanded dramatically.
This event is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of the SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents who have provided SBCO with the time, talent, and funds essential to our programs’ success. The volunteer of the year, receptionist of the year and lifetime achievement volunteer will be recognized. A check for the funds raised during the annual food drive will be awarded to Tri-Community Food Bank and guests from local schools and community organizations will describe the positive impact of SBCO’s programs on children and youth. We also will hear about students who have benefited from the SBCO Scholarship program.
Refreshments and a no-host bar will be provided. Attendees will be able to 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 2025-26.
Plan now to join us in celebrating SBCO’s more than a quarter century of making a difference in local communities—and the dedication of those who have made our organization so successful. This event is open to the public and no reservations are required. Just come on April 14, have fun, and learn more about SBCO’s programs.
SBCO Scholarship Students Express Their Gratitude
Mary Riemersma
Carson Keagan and Gabriella Gonzalez are currently pursuing four-year college degrees with the assistance of scholarships from SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO). Each year SBCO awards college scholarships to deserving high school students living in the Copper Corridor, from Catalina north to Globe and Miami. Recipients are chosen based upon their financial situation, high school grades, school and community activities, an essay about personal and professional goals, letters of recommendation, along with a personal interview with committee members. Students attending two-year colleges receive a $1,800 per year scholarship while those attending four-year institutions receive $3,600 per year. If a student’s tuition and other expenses are otherwise covered, SBCO will pay for other school-related expenses to offer the maximum benefit from the scholarship.
Carson Keagan says, “Currently, I am working toward completing my degree in software engineering with a minor in game design and development from the Honors College at the University of Arizona. My goal is to finish my studies with minimal financial strain, as I come from a single-income household and my mother is still paying off her own student loans. I am committed to reducing any additional financial burden on her, having seen her work hard to support both my sister and me.”
“Over the next two years, I plan to maintain my high GPA and am actively seeking an internship for the coming summers. This opportunity will allow me to apply my skills and gain valuable hands-on experience as a software engineer. While I am confident in my career path, I am still exploring the types of companies and fields within software engineering that best align with my interests and strengths. I hope an internship will help clarify these areas and give me insight into the environments where I would thrive.”
“Receiving the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Scholarship Award has greatly supported my journey. Thanks to this scholarship I have been able to focus entirely on my studies without the added pressure of working, which has allowed me to better adapt to the Honors College and engineering curriculum. I’ve had the chance to form meaningful connections with other engineering students, live in the Honors Village, and fully immerse myself in my academic and personal growth. This year, the scholarship has enabled me to move into my own apartment, offering further independence while I remain dedicated to my academic goals.
SBCO Scholarship recipient Gabriella Gonzalez is attending Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, and is seeking a degree in elementary education. Howard is a two-year school that she is attending on a softball scholarship. Gabby plans to transfer to a four-year school upon graduation. She states, “Receiving the SBCO Scholarship has been a pivotal factor in achieving my college education. It has reduced the financial burden, allowing me to focus more on my studies and less on how to pay for the tuition and other expenses. This support has allowed me to take full advantage of academic opportunities, participate in extracurricular activities, and gain experiences that I might have otherwise missed out on.”
“Once I receive my degree, I plan to pursue a career in teaching using the knowledge and skills that I have gained during my college years. My goal is to make a meaningful impact on my profession, contribute to my community, and continue to grow both personally and professionally. The SBCO Scholarship has not only helped me reach this point but has also inspired me to give back and support others in their educational journey.”
Pete Giljohann presented a $4,000 check from The Battery Guy Tucson to Laura Pauli, president of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach.
SBCO Receives Special Donation from The Battery Guy Tucson
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
The SaddleBrooke Kartz Fore Kidz program buys and accepts donated or partially donated used golf cars that are then refurbished and sold to residents who want a great value on a golf cart. Profits from the program are given to Tucson’s Young Life Capernaum to help fund summer camp scholarships for kids with disabilities and special needs.
Kartz Fore Kidz also represents and sells the new lithium-powered Evolution golf carts offered through The Battery Guy Tucson. Gayle Sebastian, owner of The Battery Guy Tucson, donates a portion of these sales to local charities. Pete Giljohann who runs the Kartz Fore Kidz program, was pleased to inform SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) that Mr. Sebastian had decided to donate $4,000 from this past year’s Evolution sales to fund SBCO programs to feed, clothe, enrich, and educate kids living in the Copper Corridor.
If you are interested in selling, donating or purchasing a golf cart, contact Pete Giljohann at 520-777-9484 or [email protected]. For more information about SBCO’s programs to provide local kids with opportunities to succeed, visit community-outreach.org.