IMPACT of Southern Arizona
Impact of Southern Arizona is a community resource serving Tucsonans in need.
About IMPACT of Southern Arizona
IMPACT of Southern Arizona is a social service nonprofit and community resource serving Tucson and surrounding communities. Its mission is to empower Southern Arizonans with the resources required to pursue a stabilized and enhanced quality of life. The organization focuses on providing emergency services, stretching household budgets, moving people out of poverty, and improving lives while inspiring futures.
The people IMPACT serves include hard-working families struggling to make ends meet, low-income and homebound seniors, homeless individuals, single parents and grandparents raising children, disabled and unemployable people, and those who are temporarily unemployed. The organization describes its clients as neighbors, reflecting its focus on practical support for individuals and families across the region. Its programs include a food bank, nutrition education, a clothing bank, senior services, youth programs, ESL, community education and workshops, resources and referrals, and programs intended to help people move forward. IMPACT also offers job resources and case worker support, with an added focus on skills and resources that can help people work toward permanent self-sufficiency.
The organization's story began in 2000, when it was formed as Catalina Community Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) that worked with local groups to provide emergency services to rural Catalina residents. Early collaborators included Amphi PAT, AZYP, the Pima County Health Department, and Golder Ranch Fire District. The first location was a small slump block house on an Arizona State Land Trust property, where partner offices occupied former bedrooms and the food bank operated from a gutted bedroom and bathroom. Food was distributed through a sliding window to clients outside, and a clothing bank was later added in an ocean cargo container. After a senior meals program and location were established, the organization became Catalina Community Services.
In 2003, IMPACT partnered with SaddleBrooke Community Outreach to establish the Golden Goose Thrift Shop in Catalina. The shop was created as a membership nonprofit jointly owned by the two organizations, with net proceeds distributed equally to support their community work. According to IMPACT, the shop's distributions cover more than half of its cash budget, including administrative costs, allowing donor dollars to fund programs. The thrift shop also provides a way for community members to contribute through donated goods, shopping, and volunteer service.
IMPACT moved into a new facility on Hawser Street in 2010 through financial support from donors and funders and an ongoing partnership with Pima County. The organization later adopted its current name as its programs and service area expanded. It has served communities in southeastern Pinal County and Oro Valley, and it now reaches residents north of River Road, from Sabino Canyon to Marana and through the Copper Corridor of Pinal County to Mammoth. This area includes San Manuel, Oracle, and communities near the Pima-Pinal border. A Vail office operated from 2012 through the end of 2016, when local residents formed their own nonprofit and took over services there.
IMPACT operates with fewer than a dozen staff members, more than 170 volunteer shifts each week, and support from a large network of community partners. People can begin by reviewing the organization's website for program information, assistance applications, and qualification guidelines. Community members can also participate by volunteering, donating, hosting a food or book drive, donating clothing, offering a service, sponsoring an event, or partnering with the organization. Through these connections, IMPACT continues its work of stabilizing individuals and families and helping Southern Arizonans build confidence and skills for self-sufficiency.