CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — The West Shop, located next to the Foothills Whole Foods in the Catalina Foothills, has been raising funds for charities in the Tucson community for more than 50 years.
Every item sold at the shop goes toward a grant, which is then distributed to a local charity. The shop sells a variety of items, including yarns, children's books, canvases and home decor.
Nancy Galdi, co-chair for the nonprofit's needlework department, said she is grateful to be able to give back to her community.
"I want to give back to the people that need it the most," Galdi said.
"I love coming here and the people I've met, women that I would've never had been able to meet," Galdi said.
After initially only serving women and children, the shop expanded to serving seniors as well.
"It's a very friendly kind of family store," Galdi said.
Since 1981, the shop has granted more than $3 million in donations to more than 80 different agencies in the community.
"The money that we profit goes towards our grants," Galdi said.
See list of charities benefiting from the grants, or to donate:
CANDLELIGHTERS CHILDHOOD CANCER FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA supports, serves, and advocates for children and adolescents with cancer and other blood disorders, their families, long-term survivors, bereaved families, and the professionals who care for them. https://candlelightersaz.org
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA provides a safe, compassionate, and healing environment for children who have been victims of or witnesses to a crime. Services are available 24-hours-a-day and are free for all victims. https://www.cacsoaz.org/
LITERACY CONNECTS works with people of all ages to provide a world of opportunities through literacy and creative expression with adult and children’s programs. https://literacyconnects.org/
MAKE WAY FOR BOOKS is an early literacy nonprofit that provides proven programs, services, and resources to more than 30,000 young children, parents, and educators throughout Southern Arizona each year. https://makewayforbooks.org/
MOBILE MEALS OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA has been delivering nutritious, low-cost meals to people in Southern Arizona through a network of caring individuals for more than 50 years. https://mobilemealssoaz.org/
MORE THAN A BED provides essential items – beds, clothing, shoes, diapers, toys and more – at no cost to foster, kinship, and adoptive children and families. https://morethanabed.com/
THERAPEUTIC RIDING OF TUCSON’s mission is to empower individuals with diverse abilities to reach their full potential through equine-assisted services. https://www.trotarizona.org/
TUCSON FAMILY FOOD PROJECT estimates that 48,000 children in Tucson struggle daily with food insecurity. Each week, The Project provides the children in their program with a meal kit to feed at least four people in the household. The meal kits are provided raw and give the children a weekly lesson in food preparation. https://www.thetucsonfamilyfoodproject.org/
WHEELS FOR KIDS is an all-volunteer group that collects, refurbishes, and donates bicycles and helmets to deserving kids and adults. Through partner charitable organizations, they give them to low income, distressed, or underprivileged kids, teens, and adults in greater Tucson. terfer@comcast.net affiliated with: https://vistosocyclists.org/
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
