Donate “Stuff”
While financial donations are often the most effective way to help the women and children experiencing domestic violence, you can also make an incredible impact by donating items that are commonly used by our clients.
The list below can help you or your organization determine the items that can help the most. You can also click here for ideas for the holiday season.
You can even donate items without leaving your home by visiting our wishlist on Amazon!
Birchway Niagara supports women from diverse backgrounds. Consider donating items (e.g., hair and beauty care products) for women and children from various cultural backgrounds!
During the Holidays
In the months leading up to the winter holidays, you can donate gifts and toys to brighten the season for women and children experiencing abuse. If you or your organization would like to support our clients, click here for gift ideas.
Non-Perishable Food / Grocery Items / Toiletries
Take a moment to think about your family’s grocery bill. Now imagine what that bill would look like if you were housing 40 or more women and children. By providing non-perishable food and other grocery/toiletry items, you are helping to offset some of the expense of running our shelter… allowing our budget to be spent where it is most needed: helping survivors of violence get back on their feet. Please consider donating some of the following items. Where possible, single-use items are preferred (e.g., peanut butter in single servings instead of a jar).
Kindly ensure that all non-perishable foods are not approaching or past their expiry date.
Food & Grocery Items
- Cereal (hot & cold)
- Ground coffee
- Teas
- Sugar
- Rice (brown & white)
- Kraft Dinner
- Complete meals in a box or can (e.g., soup, pasta)
- Hamburger Helper
- Cooking oil (canola & vegetable)
- Flour (whole wheat & white)
- Pasta (dry, whole wheat & white)
- Pasta sauce
- School snacks
- Microwave popcorn
- Tuna
- Alfredo Sauce
- Butter Chicken Sauce
- Shake ‘n Bake
- Peanut butter (or Wowbutter for school lunches) and jams
- Pancake mix & syrup
- Muffin and cake mixes
- Potatoes (boxed/dehydrated)
- Cooking spices
- Pickles
- Laundry detergent
- Fruit (canned) & apple sauce
- Liquid dish soap
- Juice
- Paper towels
- Plastic food storage bags
- Razors (disposable)
- Shaving cream
- Sanitary napkins & tampons
- Shampoo / Conditioner
- Hot water bottles
- Hair & beauty items
Baby Items
Our clients often come to shelter with infants and toddlers, or need help as they move into a permanent home to support their babies’ needs. Please consider donating the following items to support our youngest clients:
- Diapers (all sizes)
- Wipes
- Bathtubs
- Towel and facecloths
- Gentle laundry detergent
- Baby soap and shampoo
- Diaper cream
- Teethers (regular and freezer versions)
- Bumbos (infant chair)
- Bottles
- Bouncers
- Hygiene kits (nail clippers, aspirators, combs, brushes)
- Baby fitness mats/play mats
- Baby monitors
- Pedialite freezies
- Swaddling blankets
- Sleep sacks (all sizes)
- Baby slings/carriers
- Bottle warmers, sterilizers and brushes
- Diaper bags
- Newborn docking station
- Sound machines
Gift Cards
Gift cards allow a woman to choose the items that she and her family need the most. Consider gift cards to local grocery stores and chain stores (e.g., Walmart) that sell a wide variety of items she might need to help her family get back on their feet after leaving shelter. On occasion, gift cards may also be used to purchase items that are needed to support our clients while they are still in shelter (e.g., small household items or groceries for our clients’ use).
Books
Please visit our Book Riot event page for information on where and when you can donate your gently used books, puzzles, games, CDs, DVDs & vinyl records.
New Clothing
The women and children who seek refuge in our shelters will sometimes arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs. Providing a family with new clothing during their stay can make a big difference. We help women of all ages, as well as infants, children and youth (both male and female)… who, of course, are all shapes and sizes. Clients often need the following items:
- Pajamas
- Slippers
- Seasonal wear (e.g., winter/fall/spring coats & jackets, snow pants, boots)
- Underwear
- Sports bras
- Onesies/baby items
- Casual wear (e.g., yoga pants, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans)
- Socks
- Housecoats/robes
Please note that for storage reasons, we generally do not accept used clothing unless we have an urgent need for a particular item. If you have used clothing to donate, please consider donating it to Value Village in Niagara Falls or the Goodwill in Welland, as we have agreements with these two organizations that allow our clients to access clothing from their stores free of charge, or visit Niagara’s Mobile Closet.
Household Items
While we refer our clients to local organizations for larger household items, we do keep a limited inventory of small household items that can help a client to set up her new home when she and her family leave shelter. Consider donating items you use every day such as:
- Alarm clocks
- Kettles / toasters
- Coffee makers
- Bedding/linens (new)
- Towels (new)
- Pots & Pans
- Plates, bowls
- Drinking glasses
- Hair dryers
- Reusable water bottles
- Coffee mugs
- Can openers
- Tupperware
- Umbrellas
