SBCO Honors Volunteers and Supporter of the Year
by Nancy McCluskey-Moore
For the past 25 years, all-volunteer organization SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has provided food, clothing, educational grants and scholarships for local children in communities along the 100+-mile “Copper Corridor” that stretches north from Catalina. On April 11th, SBCO board members, volunteers and supporters gathered to celebrate the achievements of the past year, honor the special contributions made by the volunteers and supporter of the year, and kick-off SBCO’s 25th anniversary celebration.
Volunteers of the Year
Ann Van Sickel, along with Marv and Bonnie Richter, were named volunteers of the year. Ann became a volunteer in 2012. She has worked as a Kids’ Closet dresser helping children select and try on clothing, as an inventory re-stocker ensuring that students have many items from which to choose and as a merchandise receiver processing clothing prior to delivery at the Kids’ Closet facility in Mammoth. As a result of wearing “many hats” Ann has been involved in most of the steps Kids’ Closet uses to distribute clothes to local students in need and has found her volunteer work to be very rewarding.
Seven years ago, Marv Richter joined the SBCO scholarship committee which then had only eight members to receive and review scholarship applications, interview applicants, help select scholarship recipients and stay in contact with students through their college years. He stepped in to help with this essential but labor-intensive work. Today Marv serves as the liaison for Central Arizona College students. He says, “Working with these students, ensuring they receive all the money awarded to them, and being their advocate when problems or issues arise, has been very rewarding.”
Bonnie Richter started volunteering with SBCO with the Teens Sew Cool and Teen Closet programs. She then joined Marv on the scholarship committee. Bonnie works with students from Globe and Superior. She says, “Interviewing scholarship students is so awesome. Hearing them discuss their hopes for the future and knowing that we can help them achieve their goals makes me proud to be a small part of this great organization. Helping high school students attend college can make a big difference in their lives.”
Supporter of the Year
Realtor Beth Fedor and her partners at Realty Executive Arizona Territory’s Make Your Move Matter Team, Realtor Lynn Dent, and Real Estate Concierge Jo Parsons, include SBCO in a list of local non-profit charities that their clients may select for the team’s community give-back program. When clients buy or sell a home with Make Your Move Matter, 10 percent of the realtor’s commission goes directly to the charity of the client’s choosing.
“We were delighted that such a deserving charity as SBCO received a lion’s share of the nearly $60,000 we were able to give back in 2021“, said realtor Beth Fedor, “It’s especially gratifying to see that a number of our clients have also become SBCO volunteers. Lynn, Jo and I have always been involved in charity work and we know first-hand how much this organization uplifts the children and families of the Copper Corridor. We look forward to supporting SBCO in the coming years and encourage others to support these precious kids.” The agency has also been a financial supporter for the SBCO walkathon and Beth also has co-chaired the annual SBCO home tour and walkathon, and along with Jo, regularly volunteers in the SBCO office.
SBCO Elects New Board of Directors
On April 11th at the annual meeting of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO), the organization elected its Board of Directors for 2022-23. The members of the new board include:
- President – Denise Anthony
- Executive Vice President – Ann Coziahr
- Recording Secretaries – Cheryl Smith and Marcia Van Ommeran
- Corresponding Secretary – Karen Green
- Treasurer – Camille Esterman
- Assistant Treasurer – Jeannine Grippo
- Vice Presidents Education – Linda Richter and Steve Sahl
- Vice President Kids’ Closet – Michelle Schroeder
- Directors of Scholarship Endowment – George Nersesian and Ed Barnes
- Directors of Teen Closet – Vivian Enrico and Eileen Hansen
- Directors of Membership – Andrea Stephens and Betty Ryan
- Director of Communications – Nancy McCluskey-Moore
- Golden Goose Representative – Melanie Stout
Board members serve two-year terms and may be re-elected to serve a second term. Five returning board members required board approval to continue their service beyond four consecutive years in the same position. These included Camille Esterman, Karen Green, Nancy McCluskey-Moore, Marcia Van Ommeran and Cheryl Smith.