The Copper Corridor encompasses a series of small, close-knit communities that share a history rich in mining. But when many of the mines closed in the 1990s, unemployment soared, economic prospects dimmed, and poverty rates increased. More than 25 years later, the situation remains dire, especially for children who have never known the economic security
most of us take for granted.
- According to the US Department of Labor, unemployment in these communities is significantly above the national average and the average for Arizona.
Of the 17 schools served by SBCO, all are Title I Schools, meaning at least 40% of the students come from low-income families. In some Copper Corridor schools, the figure is as high as 90%. - Academic achievement is well below state averages, putting students at a significant disadvantage for higher education and work opportunities.
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) grew out of a desire to help reduce student school absenteeism by providing clothes for students so that siblings wouldn’t have to share. Today SBCO is the largest nonprofit in the Copper Corridor committed to providing the basic needs and educational support these under served students need to succeed.
Since 1997 SBCO has been able to:
- Feed – Raise $1,052,026 and 269,536 pounds of food donations for the Tri-Community Food Bank
- Clothe – Provide 52,162 wardrobes for kids
- Enrich – Grant $887,704 to communities, teachers, sports teams, libraries and pre-school programs
- Educate – Awarded 678 two- and four-year college and vocational scholarships and five graduate school scholarships to area students
We need the support of community and business leaders if we are to continue to FEED, CLOTHE, ENRICH and EDUCATE the children and youth of the Copper Corridor. A healthy and prosperous region depends on it.
JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
To learn more about SBCO and how your organization can get involved send an email to sbco.info@community-outreach.org
