The SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) annual Food Drive is accepting donations of food as well as money to support the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) based in Mammoth. TCFB serves needy families living in Mammoth, San Manuel, Oracle and the Dudleyville/Aravaipa area. Donations from SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch helped to provide bi-monthly emergency food boxes to an unduplicated count of 577 households (1,588 people) for the past calendar year. This means 4,702 food boxes were given out to 14,145 individuals. TCFB meets a real need in the Tri-Community area, where 20 percent of households live below the poverty level and 10 percent are below 50 percent of the poverty level. Recent increases in the cost of gasoline, food and utilities have a significant impact on families already struggling to make ends meet.

Monetary contributions can be made online or with checks. Online donations can be made at the SBCO website: community-outreach.org. Checks, made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (please put your unit number on the memo line), can be delivered to your Food Drive Unit Captain or mailed or hand delivered to the SBCO office at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Boulevard, Suite L., Tucson, AZ 85739 (in the SaddleBrooke business complex). Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All monetary donations go directly to grocery purchases and related expenses. SBCO and TCFB are both all-volunteer organizations and are IRS 501©(3) and AZ non-profit charitable organizations, so donations made to these organizations are tax deductible.

On Saturday, March 15, food donations need to be placed at the curb for pick up by 8 a.m. These donations will be taken to the MountainView Clubhouse parking lot for sorting, boxing and delivery.

TCFB Requests That We DO NOT DONATE:

  • Flour
  • Items in glass containers
  • Sugar
  • Fresh fruit or vegetables
  • Canned Vegetables
  • Rice
  • Drinks
  • Used or opened packages
  • Any item with an expiration prior to 2023

Each unit will be given suggested products to donate, including preferred sizes. Flyers will be customized by unit number. For example, Unit 1/1A will be asked to donate peanut butter and jelly, Unit 2 canned soup, etc. This will help ensure TCFB receives the desired items in usable quantities.

If you live in SaddleBrooke and would like to volunteer for the Food Drive, email Andrea Stephens at andrea.stephens@community-outreach.org. SaddleBrooke Ranch residents should email Marian Bianchini at marian@community-outreach.org.

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