Volunteer in and Around Oro Valley

Quotes

"The influence of a beautiful, helpful, hopeful character is contagious and may revolutionize a whole town."

- Eleanor H. Porter, author, 1868-1920

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

- Aesop, storyteller, 620-564 BC

The Golden Goose Thrift Shop

The Golden Goose Thrift Shop, located in Catalina at 15970 North Oracle Road , is an enormous thrift shop with new things arriving constantly. There are special sales every day that they are open, and the sales are always changing. This thrift store truly must be visited to be appreciated fully. Items span the spectrum - clothing to housewares, sports equipment, jewelry, a very large book collection, a huge furniture section, loads of artwork, lamps - I could go on and on. I have seen everything from Wedgewood china to a Vespa (yep, you read that right- someone donated a Vespa!). If it is time to purge your own belongings (as Rancho Vistoso and Sun City Vistoso only allow garage sales twice a year), and they are in usable and salable condition, bring them on up! To arrange for pickup of larger items, please call (520) 825-9101 between 8:00AM and 3:00PM, Monday – Saturday.

You are making a great difference by shopping and donating to the Golden Goose - retail therapy you can feel fabulous about!!!

Ready to have a ball and volunteer? I used to volunteer at the Goose on Tuesdays and I can tell you that I walked out of there like I am on a cloud. The people are fabulous to volunteer with, we have an absolute blast AND it feels great to know that it is directly helping others in the surrounding communities. I made some great new friends— both volunteers and patrons. There are over 500 volunteers who donate about 6000 hours a month at the Goose. Extroverted personality? Work the sales floor. Not ready to jump in front of the public? Be an integral part of the operations in the backroom (I secretly call it Santa’s Workshop) and assist in repairing, researching or pricing the merchandise. Strong? The truck always need help. The Golden Goose provides funds to the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach and Impact of Southern Arizona who in turn focus many of their programs on children and seniors in both Pima and Pinal counties.

Tuesday - Friday:

  • 10:00AM - 2:00PM

Saturday:

  • 9:00AM - 2:00PM

Moonlight Madness is on the 3rd Friday of every month:

  • 4:00PM - 7:00PM

Impact Of Southern Arizona

Impact Of Southern Arizona services local people in need in NW Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana and SE Pinal County. That have a diverse list of volunteer opportunities and they are located just 10 minutes from the Vistoso community at 3535 East Hawser Street in Catalina. Here are some of the ways you can help:

Food Bank

  • Customer Service
  • Inspecting, sorting and bagging food items
  • Sponsor/organize a food drive
  • Corporate store donation pick-up

Clothing Bank

  • Customer Service
  • Inspecting, sorting and tagging clothing items
  • Sponsor/organize a clothing drive

Senior Programs

  • Commercial kitchen meal preparation
  • Serve meals at the Activity Center
  • Meal delivery to home bound seniors
  • Plan and lead a senior activity
  • Provide transportation for a senior to a doctor appointment

Educational Programs for Adults and Children

  • Be a teacher or teacher’s aide for an ESL (English as a Second Language) class

General Help

  • Event or fundraiser assistance
  • Staff an off-site food or clothing drive
  • Work at our Youth Day Event
  • Special Projects

For more information, please call our Volunteer Coordinator at 520-825-0009 or stop by during business hours to sign up. https://www.impactsoaz.org/

Oro Valley Hospital

There are also opportunities to volunteer in Oro Valley at the Oro Valley Hospital, located just outside Rancho Vistoso at 1551 E Tangerine Road in Oro Valley.

https://www.healthiertucson.com/volunteer-opportunities

Oro Valley Historical Society

Oro Valley has a rich history from long before the Town incorporated in 1974. (Including how the Town was almost named Palo Verde, but became Oro Valley in an attempt to garner support from the homeowners in the Oro Valley Country Club. It worked like a charm, by the way!)

You can learn about the history and make some new friends while volunteering. Check out their website to learn more. https://ovhistory.org/donate/volunteer/

Therapeutic Ranch for Animals and Kids (TRAK)

This is a very cool organization that offers Equine therapy and teaches kids not only about the power of the human/animal bond but also the joys of giving back to their community. You can volunteer and assist in taking care of the animals - feeding, watering, mucking out the stalls, etc., or obtain a Horse Handler certification and have the ability to walk/lead the horses and participate in events. We are strong believers in the therapeutic benefits of animals, and this is a wonderful way to experience it for yourself while helping the organization. https://www.traktucson.org/

More opportunities for volunteering with animals are abundant - Pima Animal Care, The Humane Society and other organizations always need help. What about fostering an animal? Excellent groups like Southern Arizona Cat Rescue are always looking for fosters - you will be helping save lives and get over your daily dose of cuteness overload!

Emerge Center for Domestic Abuse

It’s heartbreaking to know that one in three women and one in four men have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Even more than that have experienced mental and emotional abuse. This means that the chances of someone in your neighborhood being a victim of domestic violence is pretty high. It covers all different demographics - and yes, it can happen to someone you care about. Emerge Center in Tucson is a support system and shelter that offers help to desperate people and their children who are unsafe at home. There are many ways you can volunteer your help - we encourage you to visit their website to learn more.

Literacy Connects

Love to read and want to help others? This might be the perfect program for you! Assist by coaching kids who are reading below grade levels, helping out in the adult literacy program, volunteer in the English Language Acquisition for Adults program, become a member of the support staff or volunteer in the library. https://literacyconnects.org/get-involved/attend-an-info-session/

These are only a sampling of the volunteer needs in Greater Tucson area! Other ideas are to host fundraising drives or parties to collect funds or items for your favorite cause.

Do you know of a great volunteer opportunity near Rancho Vistoso? Please let us know - we would love to include it on this page!