Left to right: Pat Schlote, Merna Oakley, Joan Roberts, Anne Everett, Rich Roberts, Chris and Dan Garand, Steve Groth and Marv Richter. Photo taken by Nan Nasser.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets
Nan Nasser
Members of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach sorted and filled 36 baskets with Thanksgiving food for families in Oracle. Everyone received a turkey with trimmings, 10 lbs. of potatoes, canned vegetables, rolls, pie and Cool Whip! Sixteen baskets went to families of children at Mountain Vista Elementary School and 20 went to the Mountain Health & Wellness Center. Terry Rodriquez and Mary Dykes coordinated those 36 families to avoid duplication. One family of 13 people received a larger turkey, extra pies and more cans of food.
SBCO wishes to recognize the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Oro Valley for its generous support of this project. Manager Brian Andrews and Meat Manager Rebekah Masuch have worked with Joan and Rich Roberts for several years, offering reduced prices and helping with deliveries in a timely fashion. All 36 turkeys came from this store at Oracle and Magee roads. The 360 pounds of potatoes came from Bashas’ in Catalina, thanks to a wonderful sale price.
The Roberts have managed this program for years and were assisted by Merna Oakley, Pat Schlote, Dan and Chris Garand, Anne Everett and SaddleBrooke Ranchers Steve Groth and Marv Richter.
Many people enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generosity and time donated by supermarkets and volunteers.
Left to right: Lori Havens, Gerry Russell (both residents who volunteer on this project) and Steve Groth, SBCO VP of Education.
Enrichment opportunity
Nan Nasser
For many years SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has been supporting enrichment programs for students in our service area. Among those projects, we have funded the Bookshelf Reading program in Kearny in partnership with the Kearny Rotary.
Youngsters in grades 1–4 take part in a reading program that begins in the first grade. Those students receive a newly constructed bookcase along with two new books when they complete the session. The Rotary helps provide the lumber, high school students make the bookcases and SBCO provides funds for the purchase of new books.
Representatives of the program, Gerry Russell and Lori Havens, shared their stories at the November SBCO program meeting. The involved youngsters have all raised their reading levels by one grade! They keep the bookcases, and in the second, third and fourth grades they receive new books to add to their collections. The high school students have gone on to tutor/mentor some of these younger children; people in all age levels benefit from the Bookshelf Reading program.
SBCO provides a variety of services for students in 20 schools in eight districts, extending from Catalina through the Pinal County mining corridor and across to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. We operate Kids’ Closet, Teen Closet, provide college scholarships and tutor in math and reading in local schools. The Tri Community Food Bank receives the food collected in our spring food drive as well as financial support throughout the year. Other enrichment programs have been aimed at academic programs, including College for Kids, have supported the Triangle Y Ranch in Oracle and funded swimming lessons in San Manuel.
Wish to learn more about us? Visit Suite L in the commercial center in SaddleBrooke, or go to our website: www.community-outreach.org.