Valley of the Sun United Way

Southwest Human Development's biannual Festival of Tales brings books to life through the "Art of Storytelling" and provides free books to children. Volunteers are needed to assist with book distribution, parking direction, and oversight of activities such as arts and crafts and games. The event takes place on December 6th at Paradise Valley Community College. 

To sign up for a shift, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/xC7MjbgMgX

This volunteer opportunity is offered by a third party. By clicking the link, you are leaving Valley of the Sun United Way’s (VSUW) website and going to an external site. VSUW is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of the external site.

Join us for this fun day of golfing in support of Arizona's children. This fundraiser is sure to be a great time, and we need volunteers throughout the day to support the various areas of the event. The event will be held at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Specific duties will be assigned prior to event, but may include registration, setting up and breaking down, golf cart attendant, greeters and snack patrol.

Volunteers should be at least 16 years old. Volunteers ages 12-16 are welcome to join with adult supervision.

All volunteers will need to attend orientation on October 24th, 2025 at 3:30pm (In person and virtual). Further details will be sent after you register. If you have any questions please reach out to Tay Wright at twright@swhd.org

To sign up for a shift, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/SHUHXkd9i4

This volunteer opportunity is offered by a third party. By clicking the link, you are leaving Valley of the Sun United Way’s (VSUW) website and going to an external site. VSUW is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of the external site.

Day of Action – Build Garden Kits for Spaces of Opportunity

Day of Action is a time for us all to come together, roll up our sleeves, and give back to our community. Come join Valley of the Sun United Way for a great morning of building Garden Kits for our nonprofit partners at Spaces of Opportunity!

About them: Spaces of Opportunity was born out of an idea of transforming 19 acres of land surrounded by neighborhoods in south Phoenix into a thriving community green space. Housing incubator farms, community farming plots, healing gardens, farmers markets and more, Spaces of Opportunity is helping build a strong community centered around agriculture. 

You will be building Garden Kits to support their monthly Farmer's Markets! Garden Kits will include soil, seeds, labels, and directions for children to learn how to grow healthy herbs, fruits, vegetables, and more! Please note: this event will take place OUTDOORS

Address: Spaces of Opportunity

1200 W Vineyard Rd, Phoenix AZ 85041

Day of Action – Build Hygiene Kits for A New Leaf

Day of Action is a time for us all to come together, roll up our sleeves, and give back to our community. Come join Valley of the Sun United Way for a great morning of building Hygiene Kits for our nonprofit partners at A New Leaf!

About them: A New Leaf is a nonprofit organization that supports life-changing services to families and individuals in Arizona, providing help with housing, shelter, domestic violence, financial empowerment, and more.

You will be packing Hygiene Kits, assembly line style, full of essential items like: shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, lotion, comb, and more! 

Address: A New Leaf

2245 W Ella St, Mesa AZ 85201

Day of Action – Build Snack Packs for notMYkid

Day of Action is a time for us all to come together, roll up our sleeves, and give back to our community. Come join Valley of the Sun United Way for a great morning of building Snack Bags for our nonprofit partners at notMYkid!

About notMYkid: notMYkid provides prevention, early intervention, and counseling support to youth and families through school-based education, mental health services, and parent resources.

You will be packing snack bags, assembly line style, to support their teen clients! We will also have encouragement card stations set up for some creative fun, too!

Address: notMYkid

5310 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale AZ 85254

Day of Action – Create Book In A Bags for Pendergast Family Resource Center

Day of Action is a time for us all to come together, roll up our sleeves, and give back to our community. Come join Valley of the Sun United Way for a great morning of creating Book In A Bags for our partners at Pendergast Family Resource Center!

The Pendergast Elementary School District, through a partnership with First Things First, has developed the Pendergast Family Resource Center providing quality, comprehensive, diverse, and streamlined services centered on a holistic view of early childhood education with neighborhood outreach as a core component. The services offered create a unique collaboration between the educational environment, families, and communities combined with staffing support from caring, knowledgeable professionals. 

You will be picking out Scholastic books for K-5th graders, adding a bookmark, reading tip sheet, and paper bag. You'll get creative with stickers, stencils, colored pencils, and markers to design the gift of literacy to their clients! We will also have encouragement card stations set up for some more creative fun, too!

Address: Pendergast Community Center 

Suite 2, 10550 W. Mariposa Street Phoenix AZ 85037

Join Southwest Human Development for the 8th Annual MAKERS of Change Finalist Presentation as we celebrate innovative solutions from high school teams participating in a Challenge to create assistive devices to support children with disabilities.
All volunteers will need to attend orientation on October 7, 2025 at 4:00pm (In person and virtual). Further details will be sent after you register.

Location: Helios Education Foundation 4747 N 32nd St Phoenix AZ 85018

If you have any questions please reach out to Tay Wright at twright@swhd.org.

To sign up for a shift, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/fbQf3pN0np

This volunteer opportunity is offered by a third party. By clicking the link, you are leaving Valley of the Sun United Way’s (VSUW) website and going to an external site. VSUW is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of the external site.

SER-KALLAI’s SHINE 2025: Feel to Flow

On Saturday, October 4th, we will celebrate the fifth time festival, SHINE 2025: Feel to Flow, during Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month.

This transformative event aims to raise awareness about the benefits of Emotional Intelligence in children and families and its crucial role in mental health.

Participants of all ages will explore a variety of interactive workshops, engaging activities, and insightful discussions designed to enhance emotional intelligence and mental wellness. They will acquire practical tools to express emotions, build resilience, embrace healing, and foster healthy relationships through art, storytelling, mindfulness exercises, and expert-led sessions.

Volunteers are requested to support in a variety of roles, including logistics, marketing, audiovisuals, interactive stations, registration, giveaways, food, setup and cleanup.

To sign up for a shift, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/LTbVmHj8NV

This volunteer opportunity is offered by a third party. By clicking the link, you are leaving Valley of the Sun United Way’s (VSUW) website and going to an external site. VSUW is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of the external site.

Give Back with Project Connect and Keys to Change!

• Guest navigation and check-in
• Distributing meals or supplies
• Supporting service providers
• Helping with event setup or teardown
• Creating a warm, respectful environment for all attendees

  Thursday, September 25th, 2025 Event: 6am-4pm

Available Shifts:

6am-8am

7am-3pm

7am-11:30am

11am-4:30pm

2pm-4pm

Register Today: September 25 Project Connect - Avondale · Keys to Change

Avondale Baptist Church- 1001 N Central Ave. Avondale, AZ 85323

This volunteer opportunity is offered by a third party. By clicking the link, you are leaving Valley of the Sun United Way’s (VSUW) website and going to an external site. VSUW is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of the external site.

City of Phoenix CSFD Volunteer Opportunity - Encouragement Card Activity 

Please join Valley of the Sun United Way in creating Encouragement cards for children with positive phrases like “Keep it Up”, “You Rock”, and more to show that a caring adult knows they will succeed. These cards will be tucked away into Valley of the Sun Way pantry packs and distributed throughout Maricopa County.

Please keep the Encouragement cards gender and religious neutral, glitter free and should not make reference to economic status.

Encouragement Card Flyer

Encouragement cards can be mailed to Valley of the Sun United Way: 3200 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 375, Phoenix, AZ 85018

If you have any questions or need supplies, please reach out to volunteer@vsuw.org!