City of Tucson Multidisciplinary Outreach Team Spoke to SSR
Frank Shipton
Guest speakers Thelma Magallanes, Elle Millyard, Alex Manriquex, Laurie Distel, and Zion Alderette from the City of Tucson Multidisciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) were invited to speak to members of the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary (SSR) club on March 21. The subject was MDOT’s project promoting permanent housing and financial stability, health, and well-being among persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness through encampment outreach.
Interested? Join members of the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary and determine how best you can support the needs of MDOT through their volunteer program at the City of Tucson (Housing First) Housing & Community Development.
Tri-Community Food Bank Honors the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club
Frank Shipton
Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) recently held an appreciation lunch to honor the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club. Gary Tindall, Karen S. Nybeck, and Roe Douglas are pictured expressing thanks to members of the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary for providing past and ongoing support to the TCFB.
Pictured are members of the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke’s Community Service Committee, left to right, back row: Keith Gordon, Kimberly Johnson, Jim Dolian, John Howard (chair), Linda Howard, Liese Razzeto, Diane Demeroutis; first row: Linda Daubers, Jack Hunter, and Jim Frye.
Rotarians Touch the Lives of 11,780 Area Residents
Barbara Barr Bengen
Recently the District Governor of Rotary District 5500, Don Jorgensen, encouraged Rotarians to think about their volunteer work in terms of the number of lives they touch. That’s all it took for John Howard, the chair of the Community Services Committee, to put a pencil to his stats.
Chronologically listing the wide range of Community Services projects since the Rotary year began in July, John found some fascinating numbers. Now bear in mind, these are only the statistics for the Community Services Committee. This doesn’t include the volunteer work of the Next Generation (Youth) Services Committee, the Vocational Committee, the Peace Committee, the International Services Committee, or any other of the busy club committees!
Under the direction of John Howard and the Community Services Committee, so many lives were touched in so many heart warming ways. It’s with great joy that we help the community of Oracle have a small town 4th of July celebration. We assist with children’s holiday parties in Oracle and San Manuel. And then of course, there is the heartfelt Senior Holiday Dinner we cook and serve to area clients of IMPACT. Holiday dinners are also delivered to homebound people. However, one of our all-time favorite events is passing out the fixings to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table for those who could not otherwise celebrate Thanksgiving. But these are just a few of our local service projects.
Day in, day out, week in, week out, month in, month out, SaddleBrooke Rotarians and the Community Services Committee keep touching the lives of others: Collecting hygiene items for IMPACT clients, preparing IMPACT Senior Boxes, packing IMPACT food bags, assisting with the San Manuel National Night Out, helping prepare and serve Oracle Community Center Monthly Lunch, participating in San Manuel Coppertown Day, baking cookies for Senior Holiday Baskets (outside of SaddleBrooke), preparing Senior Holiday Baskets for those outside of SaddleBrooke, adopting a number of children for Adopt a Child, providing the collection and sorting for Fueling the Future, providing funding and volunteers for Wreaths Across America in Marana and Oracle, teaming with the San Manuel Elks Club to provide a holiday party for children and youth, sending Valentine’s Day cards to IMPACT shut-ins and senior clients, and continually assisting with sorting and any help needed at the Tri-Community Food Bank.
Remember, this is just the work of the Community Services Committee! Imagine when you add in the lives we touch through services of the other committees. For example, the International Committee just installed fresh water in 23 crowded Nogales schools. Since each school has double sessions of classes, imagine how many children and their families now have clean water to drink.
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets Thursdays at the Ranch House at SaddleBrooke Ranch. We have lunch in the dining room at 11 a.m. followed by a meeting and program in the ballroom. Come visit and help make a difference in the world! For more information, contact Diane Demeroutis at [email protected].
SSR Members Support the Annual Food Drive
Frank Shipton
From preparing food boxes to sorting donated food products and loading filled boxes for transport to Tri-Community Food Bank distribution centers, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary members volunteered with enthusiasm.