Against window on right, from front to back: bake sale volunteers Deborah Dorman, Dina West, and Bridgette Dwyer (photo by Christa Quackenbush)
Christa Quackenbush
Over 40 bakers, along with a handful of other dedicated volunteers, filled four SUVs with homemade treats—each item baked from scratch and destined for the Democratic Club of Robson Ranch’s (DCRR) biannual bake sale, held outside the Hermosa Ballroom during the Arts and Craft Fair.
Each year, the sale grows a little bigger—and we try to make it a little better. We introduce new offerings, refine our processes, and somehow manage the delightful chaos of baking, wrapping, transporting, and selling it all. And whoowee—it is a process!
This effort is 100% volunteer-driven, 100% homemade, and 100% of funds raised, minus the cost of boxes and bags to package the items, goes directly to the Eloy and Toltec School districts. These funds help provide food, clothing, hygiene products, and school supplies for students in need and their families.
These support programs were created in response to a federal law called the McKenny-Vento Act that requires every school district to designate a McKenny-Vento liaison to ensure students experiencing homelessness have equal access to education. But in reality, it takes far more than school enrollment and a bus ride for children facing hardship to succeed academically. The McKinney-Vento Act is a largely unfunded mandate, and the challenges extend well beyond homelessness.
Unstable housing—even if they aren’t actually unsheltered, insufficient nutrition, outdated, ill-fitting or worn-out clothes that make it hard for students to fit in socially, parents who are struggling to find and keep well-paying jobs or who work multiple jobs to make ends meet are all obstacles to academic achievement for students.
The Parent Support Center in Eloy and the Family Support Program in Toltec provide assistance far beyond what is required by law, offering vital, compassionate support to families navigating these challenges. At a time when access to programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and healthcare have become more difficult, the need for this kind of community-based assistance is greater than ever.
DCRR’s aim is to help provide some of life’s essentials so that students can focus on what matters most: learning and growing. The time, energy, and generosity of our volunteers—and the enthusiastic support of the Robson Ranch community—make this effort not only possible, but truly meaningful.
Thank you Robson Ranch!