Churches and shelters for the homeless often accept used items that donation centers can't accept. In addition to clothing and jackets, this includes sheets, blankets, towels and washcloths. They may also need rags and kitchen towels to help keep their facilities clean. Since homeless shelters offer temporary accommodation to people who don't have a home of their own, bed linen is always needed.
Bed sheets, blankets, bath towels, facial wipes and washcloths. Homeless shelters may also have a demand for kitchen towels and other types of bedding to help keep their facilities clean. On any given night in Lee County, there are approximately 2,300 people without a place to call home. Every penny donated helps the Lee County Homeless Coalition and its partners provide a much needed “hand” to individuals and families who find themselves homeless.
Homeless shelters are great places to donate used blankets. Not only do they need blankets for current residents, but during the winter months they can also distribute additional supplies to the homeless population throughout the city. People often donate old clothes and bedding to other large charities, but homeless shelters need clothes to distribute to the people they help. Shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, scarves, and gloves of all styles and sizes are generally accepted at a homeless shelter.
It is recommended to donate business clothes, such as suits, as people at the shelter can use the clothes for job interviews. Donated clothing or bedding can be used, but must be in good condition. Some shelters accept more personal items, such as socks and underwear, if they are still in their original packaging. Positions vary by shelter, but your local shelter may need people to coordinate campaigns or help prepare meals and deliver items.
If you have any skills, such as drawing, you can donate your time by providing free instruction or activities in your specialized area at the shelter. Animal shelters are particularly interested in old towels, as they like to provide dogs with their own towel or blanket and give pregnant cats towels at birth. Because of this, animal shelters quickly go through a lot of blankets, making the need for them very high. Depending on where you live, you can volunteer directly at the homeless shelter, or you can go outside and help deliver hot meals to those who are reluctant to seek shelter for any personal reason.
If you've always wanted to help support homeless shelters, but prefer to do so in a way other than donating money, here are other ways and ideas you can use to support homeless shelters that serve your local community. Homeless shelters not only provide blankets to their current residents, but they are also a resource for the entire homeless population in your city. For blankets that are in near perfect condition, consider donating to a homeless shelter or charitable organization. Many shelters only accept non-perishable foods with clear expiration dates, such as canned vegetables with dates printed somewhere on the tin.
If your blankets are too shabby to be donated, even to animal shelters, the next best option is to recycle them. Because shelters serve the homeless population every day, they try to address various needs, such as personal care and diet. The Immokalee Friendship House shelter will accept up to a combination of six men and women due to social distancing. Homeless shelters often request personal care items so they can distribute them to people who live in the shelter.
Some homeless shelters are only available to provide overnight accommodation, so other clothes they could use include warm coats and jackets, gloves, mittens, scarves and hats so that when their residents leave for the day they have adequate clothing to keep them warm. .
