THE GOLDEN GOOSE STORY By Ron Andrea The story of the Golden Goose is an amazing “Cinderella” story of an organization that, in eleven short years, has gone from a handful of volunteers working out of a garage with a borrowed pickup truck, to an organization with over 400 volunteers working out of a beautiful, 13,000 square feet building and serving thousands of needy neighbors. Ever wonder why the “Goose” logo includes two eggs? Each egg represents one of the two organizations that started the “Goose” in 2003. Representatives from SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) and Catalina Community Services (CCS) recognized they had a lot in common and could both benefit from the sales of donated items to support the local families they served. The “Goose” was created to share its profits equally between those two organizations and, to this day, the Golden Goose Board of Directors is made up of five volunteers from each organization. A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS To understand the success of the “Goose”, consider these three ingredients: First, take a retirement community where talented and previously busy people suddenly have extra time on their hands. Second, place that retirement community in a location where people who move there 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, surround that community with people who struggle each day to clothe their children, care for their elders and put food on their tables. 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 people have a convenient place to recycle their unneeded “stuff”, knowing it’s going to a good cause. Thrifty shoppers find quality used items tax free and at a fraction of the retail price. One hundred percent of the profits go to needy local families. With a recipe like this, the success of the Golden Goose, while still amazing, is at least understandable: Provide folks with great volunteer opportunities, give them a convenient and easy place to recycle, a great place to shop and the knowledge that they’re doing something meaningful every time they donate, shop or volunteer. That is truly a recipe for success! To prove it, consider that the Goose has received several local and regional awards and has increased sales, and therefore donations, in each of the past eleven years! WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? ALL of the Goose profits are shared equally between SaddleBrooke Community Outreach and Impact of Southern Arizona.(formerly Catalina Community Services). Below are just some of the services these organizations provide: SBCO - Kids’ Closet - Teen Closet - Summer Enrichment - Tutoring - College Scholarships - Food Baskets IMPACT - Clothing Bank - Food Bank - Literacy and Citizenship - After-School Programs - Junior Achievement - Senior services Consider seniors who wouldn’t have received medical care because they lacked transportation, or children who wouldn’t have gone to school on cold days because they didn’t own winter coats. Consider children who have never worn a new article of clothing and homes without a book for children to read. Consider kids who wouldn’t be earning passing grades without their tutors and teens who wanted to attend college but couldn’t without scholarship support. These are realities within a short drive of our swimming pools and tennis courts. They are our neighbors and, because of your contributions to the Golden Goose, you’ve made a difference in their lives. REMEMBER The Golden Goose is a “not for profit” organization: That means it provides 100% of its profits to Saddlebrooke Community Outreach and Impact of Southern Arizona. Not all 501(C) (3) organizations that say they support charities or schools are “not for profit” organizations. Before you donate your used items to any organization, verify that the organization is a true “non-profit” and not a profit-making business that uses “some” of the funds from donated items to make a charitable donation. FINALLY You can find the Golden Goose across from McDonalds on the East side of Oracle Rd. in Catalina. Business hours are 10-2 Tuesday through Friday and 9-2 on Saturday. We are closed for business on Sundays and Mondays but accept donations at the rear of the store 8-3 Monday through Saturday. Check out our website at goldengooseaz for a printable discount coupon and be sure to “like” us on Facebook.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 16:10:15 +0000
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