SaddleBrooke Community Outreach—making a difference every year
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) had a very productive year in 2019. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, we were able to make a significant difference in the lives of many children and their families.
* Kid’s Closet provided clothing, backpacks, and books to 2,982 children from Catalina in Pima County through the Pinal County Copper Corridor, up to Superior, across to Miami, and down to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Gila County. This year, Kid’s Closet transitioned to a bar code system for tracking clothing from the time it is received until it is distributed. Computerization has simplified purchasing and inventory management while improving team communication.
* Teen Closet gave 81 wardrobes to eligible 8th grade and high school students in our service area. Since 2007, we have given 721 sets of school-appropriate clothing to area teens. This year, Teen Closet helped students from Kearny and Superior shop at the Walmart in Clayton, while students from Winkleman came to Oro Valley to shop.
* Our Educational Enrichment programs support academic, sports, travel, and cultural programs and vision screening. Grants were given to the Mammoth/San Manuel School District for education, clubs, transportation, and music opportunities. Support for a bookshelf reading program and language arts opportunities was given to Ray School District. Oracle School District received funding for academics, a sewing club, and preschool projects. Coronado K-8 School requested funds for school trips, science programs, and music instruction. Funds were granted to Iron Ridge High School for math tutoring. A grant to Youth on Their Own (which helps homeless youth complete high school) supported Pinal County students enrolled at Coronado K-8 and Iron Ridge High School.
* College scholarships—During the 2019-20 school year, a total of 86 students will be receiving SBCO scholarships, 75 for four-year degrees and 11 for two-year degrees. Scholarships are provided as long as the student maintains a full course load and the required GPA. This year, a “second chance” scholarship was approved for students who failed to meet grade requirements during the first year, but subsequently demonstrated a commitment to their education. SBCO also instituted a Scholarship Endowment program that allows donations of $5,000 or higher to be designated to fund scholarships in perpetuity.
* SBCO manages the receipt and distribution of monetary donations for The Adopt A Family program. This allows donors to contribute to a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. SaddleBrooke residents “adopt” families, purchase and wrap gifts, and load them into vans and cars for delivery. The program includes families in the Tri Community area of Mammoth, San Manuel, and Oracle, as well as youngsters on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
* This year the Community Food Drive collected 25,000 pounds of nonperishable items for the Tri Community Food Bank, along with cash donations of $70,000. This joint effort with SaddleBrooke Ranch was the largest collection of food and cash in the history of the event.
* In addition to the food drive, SBCO also supplies Thanksgiving food baskets to families in Oracle identified by school personnel. Each family receives a turkey with all the trimmings and pies. Large families are given sufficient amounts of food for everyone. All food is delivered in large plastic laundry baskets that the recipients can continue to use. This year we provided 62 families with the full meal.
SBCO is grateful to the residents of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch who have so generously contributed their time, talents, and funds to ensure that life is much better for people in nearby communities.