Our women's shelter also loves donations of food and cleaning supplies. EVERYTHING gets the bleach treatment and laundry detergent is great. Our shelter has a list of staple items that they supply for the women (frozen chicken breast, flour, pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter, dried beans, canned corn, canned green beans; ect). Because they are funded in part by the United Way and are a non-profit, anytime you can provide any of these items, it allows money to go to another program for the women. Also, they can often use old toys and books in good shape since children generally arrive with what they are wearing.
We also have an emergency youth shelter for children who are removed from homes before being placed in foster care. They come with the clothes on their backs, generally in a police car. ANY cleaning supply; especially bleach, the same basic food items (they also have a set menu), sheets, towels, sometimes clothes will bring tears to their eyes. In the summer months, they try to take the children on trips and get them treats (a snow cone or ice cream). Anytime you can donate to them, it provides a chance for the children to escape and be "normal". Ours serves infants through 18 years; male and female; can have up to 24 on any given night.
Check your phone book and give these groups a call before you donate. You never know what group could have just delivered a case of toilet paper or toothbrushes. Our church took towels to the youth shelter and they were almost in tears, the children could all take a bath on the same night!
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