For the past 27 years, the all-volunteer organization, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO), has provided food, clothing, enrichment and education to local children in communities along the 100+-mile “Copper Corridor” that stretches north from Catalina to Globe. SBCO board members, volunteers and supporters gathered to celebrate the achievements of the past year and honor the special contributions made by some of its volunteers on Monday, April 8. Bea Dillehunt was honored as Volunteer of the Year, while Debby Bowen was named Receptionist of the Year.
Receptionist of the YearDebby Bowen and her husband moved to SaddleBrooke Ranch in 2020. She learned about SBCO at an Activity Fair and began volunteering later that year. Working as a receptionist in the SBCO office was a natural fit, based on her work as a receptionist with the travel agency she and her husband had owned, as well as her prior work in an assessor’s office and other clerical positions. In addition to serving as a receptionist, Debby has helped with the SBCO Thanksgiving baskets program and the annual Food Drive. In fact, the Bowen’s garage has served as the assembly site for Thanksgiving baskets delivered by Ranch residents to families in the San Manuel/Mammoth Unified School District. Debby says, “I find it very gratifying to know that I can help in some small way. I enjoy working with all the other receptionists and being part of something so important.”
Volunteer of the YearBea Dillehunt serves as the Thursday Day Manager for Kids’ Closet in Mammoth. The role involves receiving the list of students coming to the Kid’s Closet each Thursday session, preparing a shopping sheet and bag for each child, conducting the volunteer meeting, checking to ensure each child leaves with a complete wardrobe and checking the volunteers in and out. Basically, she is the “go to” person for the day, resolving any issues and helping ensure the kids and volunteers have a good experience. Bea began working as a Kids’ Closet volunteer in 2012 and was asked to become a Day Manager after two years of volunteering. “They thought I had potential,” she recalls. “I still enjoy meeting the volunteers, many of whom are former teachers and working with the kids.”
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