YOTO Mini Mall shelves
Connie Vaughan
In the nursery rhyme, Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor dog a bone, but when she got there, the cupboard was bare, and so the poor dog had none. Just like the nursery rhyme, Youth On Their Own (YOTO) cupboards are getting low on food. Sue Ann Obremski, co-chair of Caring Hearts and Hands of Quail Creek, says, “YOTO’s Food Mini Mall distributed 145,000 items to 2,000 students in 2021, breaking down to 72 items for each student for the year. Now the shelves are almost empty and need replenishment.”
In past years, YOTO had “Socktober,” and groups collected socks for YOTO with a friendly competition to see who could come in first place. Quail Creek came in second place by collecting 2,500 pairs of socks in 2021. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base took first place by collecting 8,000 pairs. And YOTO has enough socks for a few years!
This year’s friendly competition will be “Stocktober” for donating essential food items. Quail Creek residents can donate from the list below, and each item donated counts as a point. The team with the most points wins! Your donations can be dropped off at Sue Obremski’s home at 531 N. Keyes Road in the box labeled “YOTO” by the front door. We will be collecting through Oct. 31.
YOTO is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in Tucson that provides support for disadvantaged youth who are on their own (due to family instability).
Stocktober Challenge:
Pinto beans: Canned, any size (no raw beans in bags, please)
Snacks: Snack packs of chips, such as potato chips, corn chips, Cheetos, etc.; beef jerky; trail mix; healthy snacks, such as yogurt raisins, nuts, peanut butter and crackers, etc. Shampoo: Any size container