Donate “Stuff”

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. Click here to learn more about this year’s Holiday Gift and Toy Drive.

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 shelters… 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.

*****Please note, due to the generosity of our community during the holiday season, we are currently only accepting food items, diapers, wipes and cleaning supplies from the items listed below.

Food & Grocery Items

• Cereal (hot & cold)
• Rice (brown & white)
• Kraft Dinner
• Complete meals in a box or can (e.g., soup, pasta)
• Tuna/Hamburger Helper
• Cooking oil (canola & vegetable)
• Cornmeal
• Flour (whole wheat & white)
• Pasta (dry, whole wheat & white)
• Pasta sauce
• Peanut butter (or Wowbutter for school lunches) and jams
• Pancake mix & syrup
• Potatoes (boxed/dehydrated)
• Laundry detergent
• Fruit (canned) & apple sauce
• Liquid dish soap
• Juice
• Paper towels
• Plastic food storage bags
• Razors (disposable)
• Shaving cream
• Sanitary napkins & tampons
• Baby wipes
• Diapers (disposable)
• Shampoo
• Hair & beauty items

Thank you!

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. Thank you!

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

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