In 2025, the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Enrichment Program awarded a $5,000 grant to the Hayden Public Library in Gila County. Hayden and its neighbor, Winkelman, are two very small rural towns about an hour north of SaddleBrooke. Hayden-Winkelman is an economically challenged area with limited activities for children other than the community pool and public school.

According to Veronica Hernandez, Gila County Public Services Librarian, the grant funded the purchase of books and various hands-on activities such as “Haunted Library,” “Christmas at the Library,” and “Winter Greens.”

During the Halloween season, the library was turned into a haunted house for children to tour. The back room was decorated with “spider webs” and glow-in-the dark creatures. Other sensory experiences included “diving for treasure”; children dipped their hands in a black lagoon-like substance (polymer) and retrieved small treasures such as plastic figurines.

For Christmas, Santa and the Grinch made cameo appearances. Santa handed out small presents and read to the children. The Grinch did his best imitation of a grouch. Hands-on activities included creating and decorating Gingerbread Houses as well as Christmas cookie ornaments. Families enjoyed the community spirit and hot cocoa and appreciated the gifts of books, stuffed animals, and science kits.

The Hayden Public Library is fortunate to employ Jamie Wolgast as its Children’s Librarian. Ms. Wolgast has a botany degree and is passionate about science education. She and local volunteers planted a sample raised-bed garden with both vegetable and flowering plants well-suited to the desert. The garden, along with the seed library, is not only a fun activity for the children and their parents but helps to encourage healthier eating in a community with only limited access to fresh vegetables and fruits. Hayden/Winkelman is not only a “food desert” with limited local options for purchasing fresh foods and vegetables but is concerned with soil contamination from past mining activities, so encouraging the planting of raised gardens with fresh dirt is a valuable educational resource.

The SBCO grant allowed Ms. Wolgast to offer other hands-on activities to promote science education. She recalled one teenager whose interest in science grew through using microscopes to examine insects and plants. Ms. Wolgast confidently predicts the teen to be a future scientist!

Don’t Miss the Annual SBCO Celebration on April 13

Nancy McCluskey-Moore

On Monday, April 13 at 3 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom, SBCO will honor the volunteers and supporters who have made it possible to annually serve children and their families living in the small, rural towns stretching from Catalina to Miami and San Carlos. This area includes more than four counties, 10 school districts, 22 schools, Head Start programs, and 6,800 youngsters.

For nearly 29 years, the mission of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) 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 lifetime achievement award, volunteer of the year and receptionist of the year 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 will present the enrichment programs that were funded by SBCO grants. Scholarship students will explain how SBCO’s support has helped them attain their academic goals post high school.

Refreshments, a no-host bar, and door prizes 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 2026-27.

Plan now to join us in celebrating SBCO’s many years 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 13, have fun, and learn more about SBCO’s programs.

Support Future Scholarship Recipients QCDs

Greg Jones

If you have already filed your 2025 tax return, start thinking now about 2026. A vexing thought, right? But planning ahead can allow you to support causes you care about. It’s a fulfilling and selfless act that can make a significant impact on the lives of those in need. It also can be a beneficial way to reduce your tax liabilities. One charitable giving method is through qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). And a great local cause is the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) Scholarship Endowment Fund. The Fund was designed to ensure that future local high school graduates will be able to receive scholarships, helping them to break the cycle of generational poverty.

Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) were introduced as a way to encourage charitable giving from individuals with IRAs. The distribution must meet certain criteria. To start, it must be made from an IRA, including traditional, rollover, and inherited IRAs, but not from a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) or a Simple IRA. Next, the distribution must be made directly to a qualified charity. Finally, the donor must be at least 70 ½ years old at the time of the distribution.

QCDs are particularly beneficial for donors who have reached the age of 73 and have a traditional IRA. At this age, it is mandatory to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their traditional IRA, creating taxable income. However, QCDs can be used to satisfy the RMDs and provide tax benefits by directing the distribution to a charity.

Since the minimum donation level for the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund is $5,000 (an amount set to ensure smaller donations were directed to the SBCO general fund), many donors have found a QCD is a perfect way to satisfy the donation minimum while also lowering their tax liability.

Communicating with your IRA custodian is important to make certain they understand your intent. There may be additional processing time, so it is important to notify them well in advance. Also, for reporting on your tax return detailed records are needed, including the amount of the distribution, the date it was made, and the charity.

In general, QCDs are a simple and tax-efficient way to support the causes you care about while lessening your tax burden. If you plan on making a charitable contribution and are eligible, consider making a qualified charitable distribution.

All contributions to the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund must be made payable to the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) and designated for SBCO Endowment. (CFSA’s Tax ID is 94-2681765.)

Donations should be sent to: Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund, 5049 E. Broadway, Suite 201, Tucson, AZ 85711.

Clean Your Files and 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 18 from 8 to 11 a.m. (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 1 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 520–665–4200.