The story of the Golden Goose Thrift Shop is an amazing “Cinderella” story: It’s a story of an organization that, in 20 years, has gone from a rummage sale and a handful of volunteers working with a borrowed pickup truck, to an organization with seven employees and many volunteers working out of a beautiful 18,000-square-foot building and serving multiple local communities. Before we slip one of those webbed feet into that glass slipper, note that the Goose has a continuing need for new volunteers to effectively run and continue to grow this charitable business! Schedules and assignments are flexible, and snowbirds are always welcome to volunteer for the months they are in town. (Visit our website www.goldengooseaz.com or call 520-825-9101 for more information.)
Ever wonder why the Goose logo includes two eggs? Each egg represents one of the two original, founding, charitable organizations that benefit from the revenue generated by the Golden Goose. Volunteers from SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) and IMPACT of Southern Arizona recognized they had a lot in common and could both benefit from the sale of donated items to help their organizations assist the underserved children, seniors, and families within our local communities. The Goose was created to share its profits equally between these two organizations and, to this day, the Golden Goose Board of Directors is made up of five voting members and one member representative from each organization.
A Recipe for Success:
To understand the success of the Goose, consider these three ingredients:
First, take retirement communities where talented and previously busy people suddenly have extra time on their hands.
Second, place those retirement communities in a location where people who arrive find they not only brought too much stuff, but the stuff they brought doesn’t look as good as it did in their homes back east or up north.
Third, place those communities in proximity with people who struggle each day.
Mix those three ingredients together by providing a place where:
* Those talented and previously busy people can put their newfound time to good use in a meaningful and productive way.
* Those same people have a convenient place to recycle their unneeded “stuff,” knowing it’s going to a good cause.
* Thrifty shoppers and those in need can find quality items and necessities at bargain prices.
* One hundred percent of the Golden Goose profits are gifted to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach and IMPACT of Southern Arizona.
With a recipe like this, the success of the Golden Goose is understandable: Providing folks with great volunteer opportunities and giving them a convenient and easy way to recycle their goods, making it a great place to shop and giving them the knowledge that they’re doing something meaningful every time they shop, donate, or volunteer. That‘s a winning combination and a great recipe for success!