where can i donate toys and clothes

by Prof. Laisha Vandervort III 9 min read

  1. Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has thrift stores located throughout the United States. Besides toys, the Salvation Army accepts clothing, furniture, automobiles, and more.
  2. Goodwill. Goodwill Industries has been providing help for those in need for over 100 years. ...
  3. Stuffed Animals for Emergencies. Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE for short) is a charity that gives stuffed animals to children in emergency situations.
  4. Vietnam Veterans of America. Vietnam Veterans Of America collects donated items, including used toys, that you can drop off at any of their dozens of U.S. locations.
  5. Second Chance Toys. Second Chance Toys is a charity that has dropoff locations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and DC/Northern Virginia.
  6. Freecycle or Craigslist “Free” Section. Sites like Freecycle and the free section on Craigslist can be great places to donate used toys. ...
  7. Local Domestic Violence Shelters. Each year, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of some type of domestic violence. ...
  8. Resale Stores. Some resale or consignment stores such as Once Upon A Child will take your used toys you wish to donate.
  9. Local Emergency Childcare Services. Many metropolitan cities have emergency childcare services – often called crisis nurseries – for parents who are in a bind and need occasional child care.
  10. Local Hospitals. Another place you might want to check about donating used toys is your local hospital. ...

Full Answer

Where is the best place to donate toys?

Apr 09, 2021 · However, there are still places that will let you donate used toys so they can go to kids that will use and appreciate them. Here are some options. 1. Salvation Army The Salvation Army has thrift stores located throughout the United States. Besides toys, the Salvation Army accepts clothing, furniture, automobiles, and more.

What charities pick up clothing?

Oct 13, 2020 · Goodwill is one of the most well-known places to donate used clothes (and tons of other things too!). The non-profit is funded by a massive network of …

Who will pick up donations for free?

Mar 12, 2022 · You can make your donation at the Polish Social Club 507 Portswood Road, SO17 2TH. For more information can be found on their Facebook page. Mossgiel Organic Farm, Scotland. They can be found at the West Mossgiel Farm, Tarbolton Road, Mauchline KA5 5LL and are accepting clothes, blankets, duvet, sleeping bags, toys, nappies and canned food.

What charities accept furniture donations?

Mar 18, 2022 · The Polish White Eagle Club in Balham, South London The organisers are accepting clothing, bedding and other items to help refugees in Ukraine. They say they have already been overwhelmed with...

image

Why do doctors need toys?

Doctor’s offices need toys to keep children occupied in the waiting room or even as a reward for making it through a checkup. So you could help out by donating toys.

What is Marine Toys for Tots?

The Marine Toys for Tots is a program that gives children free Christmas toys. By donating, you put presents under the tree of a less fortunate child on Christmas morning.

What is second chance toy?

Second Chance Toys is an awesome organization that exists to provide toys to kids in low-income households, particularly the ones living at or below the poverty level. You can donate any plastic toy that has all of its parts and batteries.

What is stuffed animal for emergencies?

Stuffed Animals for Emergencies is a wonderful organization that does just as its name suggests – it provides stuffed animals for children to cuddle in times of emergency. Having a stuffed toy to cuddle can help children to feel safe during times like natural disasters or during an ambulance ride, for example. 9.

What is a military charity?

This is an awesome national 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to helping military families so they can thrive. They help military families with anything from rent and mortgage to utilities, groceries and foods as well as toys for their kids. Visit their website to contact them to see about donating your kid’s gently used toys (or brand new toys) to military families in your area.

Is LetGo a charity?

LetGo isn’t a charity, but it’s still a place to consider giving away used toys. The site is a marketplace where you can buy and sell stuff locally. Although its focus is on selling stuff, there is actually a section just for free stuff where people can list the stuff they want to give away.

What is Ronald McDonald House?

The Ronald McDonald House is an organization that provides accommodation and facilities to families whose children are getting care in a nearby hospital. Basically, it makes it possible for families who live further away from the hospital to be near their children while they’re being cared for.

What items can you donate to charity?

Items it accepts: Donation Town connects you with local charities that will pick up your stuff for free. While each charity has its own guidelines as to what items they’ll pick up, they typically pick up the following items and more: 1 Antiques 2 Books 3 Bedding 4 Clothes 5 Electronics 6 Jewelry 7 Office supplies 8 Shoes 9 Sports equipment 10 Toys 11 Vehicles

What items does the VVA accept?

Items it accepts: Shoes, clothing, bikes, toys, electronics, books, small appliances and furniture, tools, cosmetics, and cars are all clear. At the same time, the VVA has a particular need for clothes, so try to prioritize that if you can.

What do Junkluggers take?

The list of what The Junkluggers takes includes furniture, appliances, computers, printers, TVs, mattresses, sinks, tires, hot tubs, and a whole lot more. The Junkluggers will also take your literal garbage. If your item can’t be donated, they’ll recycle it.

Does NCADV accept donations?

Items it accepts: The NCADV accepts cell phone donations as part of its program with Cellular Recycler, which refurbishes the phones for sale. A portion of those sales then go back to the NCADV to support their mission of stopping violence in the home.

What items does Soles4Souls accept?

Items it accepts: Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes, as long as they’re new or gently worn. They also accept new and gently worn clothing via Clothes4Souls that handles your old coats, shirts, jeans, and more.

What does Books for Africa accept?

While books are the majority of their donations, Books for Africa also accepts paper, pencils, pens, maps, wall charts, and other school supplies.

What is Hopeline Verizon?

Items it accepts: HopeLine is a Verizon initiative that recycles and refurbishes phones for sale, and then uses the money to provide cash grants to programs that combat domestic violence. Verizon also provides some of the phones to domestic violence victims.

How to donate stuffed animals?

You can donate gently used stuffed animals to SAFE. However, please be sure that the stuffed animals meet the following guidelines: 1 Only gently used stuffed animals 2 Stuffed animals that have been properly cleaned (the website has a guide) 3 Stuffed animals that were part of a collection, haven’t been played with, and still have tags on are considered “new” even if they’ve been stored cleanly in your home

What is stuffed animal safe?

Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE for short) is a charity that gives stuffed animals to children in emergency situations. Such as children who are involved in a domestic violence incident, a house fire, car accident, or other traumatic event. You can donate gently used stuffed animals to SAFE.

Who is Laurie Blank?

Laurie Blank is a blogger, freelance writer, and mother of four. She’s psyched about teaching others how to manage their money in a way that aligns with their values and has been quoted in Bankrate.

What is emergency childcare?

Many metropolitan cities have emergency childcare services – often called crisis nurseries – for parents who are in a bind and need occasional child care. For instance, if a parent is trying to get help for addiction, or move, or something similar, they can find childcare for a specified amount of time.

Does Marines Toys For Tots accept used toys?

There were a few articles that said U.S. Marines Toys For Tots program accepts used toys as well. According to this webpage, that hasn’t been the case since 1980. The Toys For Tots website said that distributing used toys to some children was giving them the wrong message that they weren’t worthy of new toys, while kids who received new toys were more deserving.

What charities accept gently used toys?

There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Corps Reserve-run program that gives donated toys to children in need. Toys for Tots hosts popular toy drives around the holidays, but they also accept gently used toys year-round. Cradles to Crayons is another organization that accepts new and nearly new toys to benefit low-income families.

Can daycares go through toys?

If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.

Can hospitals accept toys?

Hospitals. Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new.

What is Planet Aid?

Planet Aid. Many charities only accept clothing that's in good and wearable condition — but Planet Aid is different. The organization makes it easy to donate and recycle all of your unwanted clothes, with the mission of saving all textiles from the landfill to help protect the environment.

What is the Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is an international charity organization that provides assistance to nearly 23 million Americans each year, with services that include everything from operating homeless shelters and conducting disaster relief to providing support for veterans, the elderly and the LGBTQ+ community. Clothing donations go toward stocking the charity's network of thrift stores, with all proceeds helping fund The Salvation Army's adult rehabilitation centers.

What is the Red Cross?

One of the oldest and most well-respected humanitarian organizations in the country , the American Red Cross provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education for millions of people around the world. The non-profit currently has a partnership with GreenDrop, an organization that will take donated clothes and re-sell them to thrift stores to benefit the American Red Cross.

Is Goodwill a non profit?

The non-profit is funded by a massive network of retail thrift stores across the country. Revenue from the stores goes directly toward helping individuals find employment and grow their careers by providing them with job training, placement services and other community-based programs. Anything they can't sell, Goodwill will forward to recycling organizations that will help the items avoid the landfill.

Does Goodwill take used clothes?

Accepted donations: Goodwill accepts all new and gently used clothing, including shoes and accessories. They also take other household items such as books, furniture, appliances and more.

What is the VVA?

The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is an organization dedicated to promoting and serving the needs of Vietnam War veterans through legislative initiatives, education and outreach programs. The non-profit collects donations of clothing and household items, which they either give directly to homeless and low-income veterans or re-sell in their resale stores to generate funds for their various programs and initiatives.

What is one warm coat?

Donate your spare jackets to One Warm Coat, a non-profit that provides free coats to people in need. Working towards its mission of raising awareness of the vital need for warm coats across the country, the organization has hosted more than 38,000 coat drives and has provided 6.6 million free coats since 1992.

image

Hospitals

  • Many medical facilities accept gently used toys for their young patients to play with while they are hospitalized. Your local hospital might have a toy wish list posted on its website that you can check for its exact needs. Always check with the medical facility before you show up with a box …
See more on thespruce.com

Doctors' Offices

  • Visit a children's doctor's office, and you might see toys that people have donated. Large toys can entertain children in the waiting room. And small toys can be used in the doctor's prize bin to reward kids for making it through a checkup. Check with your local doctor's office to see what its needs are. If you have kids, you can have them write short messages of well wishes on certain t…
See more on thespruce.com

Daycare Centers

  • It is rare to find a daycare center that is not in need of more toys. With so many children to entertain, daycare centers run through toys pretty fast. If you don't use a daycare center yourself, check with parents in your area to find one that will take your toy donations. The greatest need will likely be toys for young children.
See more on thespruce.com

Shelters

  • Women's shelters, as well as shelters for homeless people, are often overlooked as toy donation sites. But children end up at these locations too, and they often come with very few possessions. So many of these shelters will gladly take gently used toy donations. At the same time, you might be able to donate other items, including clothing, bedding, and toiletries. Contact a particular she…
See more on thespruce.com

Children's Homes

  • Children's homes are another place where you can donate used toys for kids in need. Groups of kids live together in children's homes, so toys for kids of all ages are usually appreciated. Don't forget about toys for older children, as they're often an overlooked group in favor of cute toys for young kids. Check your local directory to see whether there is a children's home near you, and fin…
See more on thespruce.com

Military Families

  • With military families constantly on the move, some toys might not make the trip to the family's new home. So some gently used toys could be a nice welcoming gesture for a military family with kids that's new to your city. You also can contact a local military family support group to find a home for your toy donations, or contact Operation Homefrontto search for current needs.
See more on thespruce.com

Religious Centers

  • From newborns to school-age kids, local religious centers often provide childcare services to a variety of children during services and other facility events. Contact a local place of worship to find out what its needs are. If it's not accepting toy donations at the moment, there's a good chance it will be able to direct you to a reputable location that will take your donations.
See more on thespruce.com

Social Services

  • Your local social services division likely will be able to connect you with a variety of kids who would love to play with your gently used children's toys. Contact your local department to find out what it needs and where to bring donations. It also might have needs for other children's items, such as clothing and shoes.
See more on thespruce.com

Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry small toys, usually stuffed animals, to comfort scared and injured children on the scene. And local departments generally look to the public for donations to provide this service. So call your local police and fire departments to find out whether they would like some gently used toys. Around the holidays, departments also often ser…
See more on thespruce.com

Charities

There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Co…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Buy Nothing Groups

  • Especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to find charities and organizations that will accept donations of gently used toys — but that doesn't mean your kid's old things are destined for the dump. If you can't find any places to donate toys, try posting the items on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group. You could also list the toys on Freecycle or Craigslist. Make …
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Hospitals

  • Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new. Most hospitals have strict hygiene policies, so you'll need to purchase the toy specifically for the purpose of donating (cont…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Children's Homes and Shelters

  • Your toys will definitely get played with if you donate them to a local children's or women's shelter. Get in touch with the director of the children's home nearest to you to see where and how your donations can be most useful. Your local social services office might also be able to direct you to children in the foster care system and other children in need who would greatly appreciate gentl…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Daycare Centers

  • If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry stuffed animals and other small toys with them to comfort children at the scenes of traumatic events, and their supply of toys sometimes depends on donations. Reach out to your local police and fire departments to see if they're accepting donations right now. For an easy way to donate toys to this cause, give your items to Stuffed Ani…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Churches

  • The leader of your local church may know of families within the church who could use a few new toys. Otherwise, the church itself may want the toys to keep children occupied during Sunday school, services or other local events. Contact the church's children's ministry coordinator for more information.
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Recycling Programs

  • If the toys you're looking to get rid of are soiled, torn or otherwise not in great shape, recycling them may be the best bet. You can get in contact with your local recycling service and see if they take toys (because they don't always!), or check out TerraCycle. TerraCycle has a partnership with Hasbro specifically for recycling old toys — it's free and easy! You mail in your toys, and they bre…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com