In May 2006, Marilyn Christensen and her husband, Marshall, moved to SaddleBrooke from Tempe, Arizona, which had been their home for 34 years. They are the parents of two and have six grandchildren. For 35 years, Marilyn was a dental hygienist in both Tempe and Tucson, but she also has taught swimming lessons to young children since 1974.
After arriving in SaddleBrooke, Marilyn read an article in the newspaper about SaddleBrooke Community Outreach’s (SBCO) programs to provide local children with opportunities to succeed. The chance to work with children prompted her to become an SBCO volunteer in the fall of 2006.
Marilyn’s volunteer work with SBCO began with her serving as a “dresser” at Kids’ Closet. This is essentially a personal shopper who helps an assigned student find clothing that he or she likes and fits properly and also makes sure the student receives all of the items to which they are entitled, including toiletries, books, underwear, socks, shoes, tee-shirts, and depending upon the season, shorts or pants, a sweatshirt or jacket, a hat and some gloves. Although Marilyn continues to serve as a dresser and fits shoes on the students, for the past 16 years, she has scheduled the volunteers working on Mondays at Kids’ Closet. For the past three years, this role has expanded to scheduling volunteers for all three days Kids’ Closet is open during a session: Monday, Thursday and Saturday. This is a big job involving approximately 320 volunteers. However, Marilyn says that she finds it most gratifying to work with the kids and navigate the volunteers’ schedules each week. In addition, she annually distributes the SaddleBrooke Source Book to 236 homes (Robson donates funds to SBCO in exchange for volunteers delivering the directory).
In addition to her volunteer work for SBCO, for five years, Marilyn sewed dresses for “Dress A Girl,” a program that provides cotton dresses to girls living in underdeveloped countries. She also recently signed on as a volunteer with Senior Village.
When asked about a memorable moment from her volunteer work, Marilyn responded, “A little boy came to Kids’ Closet for the first time and became very anxious as we approached the checkout counter. I asked him what was wrong, and big tears came to his eyes and he said, “I don’t have any money to buy these clothes.” I told him there was no cost to him, that they were a gift from all the people at SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch.”
Marilyn says the benefit she receives from being a volunteer is, “The joy of working with the kids and the feeling of fulfillment when the day is done. I love being able to give back and being involved in our community.”
To anyone considering becoming an SBCO volunteer, Marilyn says, “There are so many areas that SBCO has to offer people who want to be involved in their community. The stories of how Kids’ Closet and the Golden Goose Thrift Shop started are a true statement of how people who want to help and give back can make such a difference in the lives of their immediate community and the surrounding areas. So many people in SaddleBrooke have had amazing careers and continue to have skills they can use here in retirement.”
If you are interested in becoming an SBCO volunteer, visit https://community-outreach.org/volunteers/ and register.
