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Students who attended the Catalina Island Marine Institute trip were able to snorkel and visit the plankton, shark and invertebrate labs.

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) was able to make a significant difference in the lives of many children and their families in 2020, despite the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Kids’ Closet provided clothing, backpacks and books to 2,475 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 was about 500 fewer students than 2019 because the Closet closed in March due to a mandatory national shutdown. For the fall, clothing was bagged for children in need and then picked up by their teachers for delivery at the schools.
  • Teen Closet increased the number of participating schools to six, covering an area from Catalina to Superior. Eighty-one eligible eighth grade through high school students shopped at the July event in Oro Valley and Globe and 49 teens shopped at the January event in Oro Valley. Qualifying students can spend up to $200 on school appropriate clothing and school supplies. An average of $189/student was spent in 2020. To qualify for this program, teens must submit their grades and hours of community service.
  • Scholarships were given to 80 post-high school students. Sixty-one students received a $3,000 annual scholarship to attend four-year universities and 15 students received $1,500 annual scholarships to attend two-year community schools. Four students received scholarships for post graduate work at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
  • SBCO Educational Enrichment programs support academic, sports, travel and cultural programs in local schools. Supported after-school activities include art and sewing, FFA (Future Farmers of America), 4H, and gifted and talented programs. Funded elective school programs include field trips, math tutoring, AP exam fee support, band programs, and programs for reading, cooking, gardening and physical education. 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. COVID-19 caused the school year to abruptly end on March 15th. Several summer programs were put on hold or cancelled, while other academic programs were delayed or switched to an online format. Unused funding was returned to SBCO.
  • Annual Food Drive was a grand success, despite the fact that the pandemic forced SBCO to suspend the collection of food items nd request only monetary donations. A total of $92,000 and 270 pounds of food were collected for the Tri-Community Food Bank. This joint effort between SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch was the highest dollar amount collected in the history of the drive and generous residents continued to make donations for the food bank after the drive ended.
  • 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. All food is delivered in large plastic laundry baskets that the recipients can continue to use.
  • SBCO manages the receipt and distribution of monetary donations for the Adopt a Family and Adopt a Child. This allows donors to contribute to a tax-exempt 501c-3 organization. Usually SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch 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. In 2020, gift cards were distributed in lieu of wrapped gifts. SaddleBrooke residents also made 120 quilts that were delivered to Apache children.

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.

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