Goodyear Arizona is a great place to retire. The City of Goodyear has a ton of amenities that can really make a retirement convenient, special and fun. In previous posts we’ve highlighted some of these amenities. We’ve written about the great churches (and synagogue), things to do, low-cost medical options, and restaurant options that provide discounts to seniors and veterans. Now we want to look at volunteer opportunities in Goodyear AZ that seniors can enjoy. Specifically we want to focus on ‘senior citizen volunteer opportunities near me’ (as everyone searches for online) if you happen to be in or near Goodyear.
Many seniors want to give back to their communities. That’s why they search online for ‘senior citizen volunteer opportunities near me’. They’ve been blessed with a good life and now want to help others improve their lives. There are lots of ways to volunteer in Goodyear. Hopefully this list will give you some ideas if volunteer opportunities in Goodyear AZ are on your mind.
The list is in no particular order. We work with many of these companies in our assisted living businesses in Surprise and Goodyear. Therefore we know how caring they are.
Volunteer Opportunities in Goodyear AZ
Abrazo Community Health Network Volunteer
Abrazo is one of the largest medical campuses in the Phoenix west valley. And they have a lot of volunteer opportunities in Goodyear AZ. You can serve as a patient and visitor ambassador that helps patients feel like their neighbors care about them. Abrazo provides all the required training. You just need to show up. Or just search on ‘senior citizen volunteer opportunities near me’
For volunteer opportunities in Abrazo’s West Campus, there is a different application form than their other campuses. Make sure you have the right form.
Midnight Angel/11thHour Volunteer Opportunities in Goodyear AZ
Many Hospice companies such as Hospice of the Valley and Homestead Hospice are looking for volunteers to spend time with their patients in their final hours of life. These special volunteers are needed for many people who don’t have any family with them at the very end. We profiled some of our favorite Hospice companies in another blog post. We would highly recommend reaching out to any of them for volunteering opportunities in Goodyear AZ.
“Create the Good”
Create the Good is a website started by the American Association of Retired People to help seniors find volunteer opportunities. Although it is not a specific volunteer opportunity, the website can find the latest in an area. The link in the heading above takes you to the volunteer opportunities in Goodyear zip code 85338. However, you can easily enter another zip code if you are looking elsewhere.
If you search around further on the website, you can also find other AARP opportunities. These services are nationwide. So no matter where you are, you can just type in ‘senior citizen volunteer opportunities near me’ and these guys should come up.
Banner Health Volunteer
The Banner Health network has a pretty serious volunteer program. They have all sorts of opportunities at their facilities all over the state of Arizona. That includes their Health Center on Estrella Parkway in Goodyear.
Banner takes people of all ages and experience levels. They really try to match each volunteer with their interests to find the place where both the volunteer and their patients can receive the biggest benefits. They usually have a lot of volunteer opportunities in Goodyear AZ.
If you volunteer with Banner, they will call you in for an interview. Because this is a sensitive medical facility (so is Abrazo), they will make sure you have a TB test and background check before you can start helping.
You will need to fill out an application and either bring it in or fill it out online. Due to all the training they provide, they will expect a commitment of 6 months or 100 hours. That comes out to be about one four-hour shift a week.
Maricopa County Library District (and the Goodyear Library)
Who doesn’t love books? The public libraries are always looking for people to help shelve books and perform other tasks. And that includes the Goodyear public library at 14455 W.Van Buren Street, C-101 in Goodyear.
Interested in helping out at the local library? Just fill out the Maricopa County application formto start the process. If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities in Goodyear AZ and you like to read, this may be the right place for you.
Mutts on a Mission (and R.E.A.D. Program) Volunteer Opportunities in Goodyear AZ
Formerly known as Therapy Paws, Mutts on a Mission is not strictly in Goodyear. It’s close by in Litchfield Park. They have two types of opportunities to volunteer. Both volunteer opportunities require a human and a dog.
The Mutts on a Mission program needs volunteers with their own well-behaved dogs to become a therapy team. If you would like to volunteer with your dog, they will recommend a trainer to help prepare the dog for doing visits to people in need. Then they will educate you on how to go to places such as:
- Hospitals
- Assisted living and memory care (like ours!)
- Family caregivers dealing with the illness of a loved one
- Mental health and addiction patients
- Hospice patients
- Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers
You and your dog will interact with the people there and provide ‘dog therapy’.
The other program they have is the R.E.A.D program. R.E.A.D. stands for “Reading Education Assistance Dog Program”. Volunteers bring their dogs to local schools to read with a child one on one. The child practices reading out loud to the dog. The human part of the team helps tutor them in reading. Since the dog doesn’t judge the child if they stumble, the child becomes more confident quickly.
Here is a short video about how the program works:
If either program appeals to you, just give them a call at 1-844-FUR-HUGS (844-387-4847) or email them at info@muttsonamission.org.
Assisted Living and Memory Care
We couldn’t leave our personal favorite off the list! Our Paradise for Parents assisted living homes in Goodyear and Surprise are always looking for volunteers. Whether you would like to:
- Participate in activities with some of our residents
- Help prepare meals, or just
- Hang out with our residents
Any help would be much appreciated. You can fill out the contact form on the bottom of the home page or reach out to us through email, or phone (623)-295-9890. We’d love to hear from you.
And it’s not just us. There are plenty of other assisted living and memory care businesses in Goodyear that could use the help. They range from group homes like ours all the way up to large facilities. Just Google one near you, drive over and introduce yourself.
Hopefully these volunteer opportunities in Goodyear and the surrounding area spark some ideas for you. Volunteering can be so fulfilling not only for retirees but for everyone. Thank you in advance for thinking of others and making their lives better!
