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What Homeless Shelters Really Need This Time of Year

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.

by RAKI WRIGHT

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Wondering what you can do during the holiday season to support your local homeless shelter? This post features a list of more than 100 items you can donate to make a real difference in someone’s life.

Wondering what you can do during the holiday season to support your local homeless shelter? This post features a list of more than 100 items you can donate to make a real difference in someone's life.

As we’re all listening to Christmas music, reading Christmas stories, watching Christmas movies, and making holiday plans with our families, all is not well in the world. There is a single mom with three young boys who had to take temporary refuge at her local shelter because the money ran out and she hasn’t been able to find another job.

Related: 5 Step Guide to Surviving a Layoff

We all could be just one paycheck away from that. There was a time when I was overwhelmed by my monthly expenses because childcare cost more than what we paid to live in a three bedroom home on 1-1/2 acres of land.

I said enough is enough and did what I said I would never do – I moved back to my hometown, where I had the support of my family and started over. For about a year and a half, I lived with my grandmother, worked two jobs, and slowly got back on my feet. Finally, we moved into our own place and I slowly adjusted to my new normal.

But, what if I didn’t have a soft place to land? This time of year, especially, as my children make Christmas lists and I am fortunate enough to be able to grant their wishes, I think of others.

Related: 4 Rewarding Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer

Wondering what you can do during the holiday season to support your local homeless shelter? This post features a list of more than 100 items you can donate to make a real difference in someone’s life.

Wondering what you can do during the holiday season to support your local homeless shelter? This post features a list of more than 100 items you can donate to make a real difference in someone's life.

Gift Ideas for Children Living in Homeless Shelters

Games & Toys:

  • Board games (like Uno, Sorry!, Skip-Bo card game, Apples to Apples, Chutes and Ladders, Guess Who, Trouble)
  • Dress up clothes and accessories
  • Video games
  • Jump ropes
  • Pillow Pets
  • Legos

Crafts & Activities:

  • Journals
  • Pens in multiple colors
  • Paint and paint brushes

Health & Personal Care:

  • Hair brushes
  • Blankets
  • Pacifiers

Gift cards ($10 and $20 increments):

  • iTunes
  • fast food restaurants
  • Target or Walmart
  • Gas

Clothing (all sizes from newborns to teens):

  • Shirts
  • Sweatshirts/jackets
  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • Pajama sets/sweat pants

Media:

  • Young adult/teen novels (Examples: Maze Runner, Divergent, etc.)
  • Movies (dvds) for kids

Related: 5 Ways to Find the Perfect Gift

Gift Ideas for Adults Living in Homeless Shelters

Household:

  • Pop up hampers
  • Flashlights
  • Umbrellas
  • Doormats
  • Lap size quilts/throw blankets
  • Placemats/napkin sets
  • Scented candles
  • Calendars

Clothing:

  • Pajama sets/sweats (all sizes)
  • Slippers
  • Underwear (men’s and women’s/all sizes)
  • Warm gloves and hats
  • Socks (men’s and women’s/all sizes)
  • Plain t-shirts for tie-dying & bright colored dyes

Health & Beauty:

  • Nail care kits (clippers, files, polish, etc.)
  • Chap-stick
  • Jewelry
  • Makeup
  • Lotion for sensitive skin
  • Face washes and moisturizers
  • Hair brushes
  • Hair accessories
  • Stress balls

Sanitary supplies

  • Tampons
  • Menstrual cups
  • Pantyliners
  • Pads

Crafts & Activities:

  • 1000 piece puzzles
  • Craft paints (acrylic) and brushes
  • Craft canvases
  • Notepads/journals (purse sized)
  • Writing pens
  • Adult coloring books (like Mandala)

Gift Cards:

  • craft store
  • iTunes or Google Play
  • fast food restaurants
  • grocery stores

Food:

  • Juice
  • Cereal boxes

General Items Always Needed (But Often Forgotten) at Homeless Shelters

  • Deodorant
  • Regular Size Soaps
  • Single Use Shampoos & Conditioners
  • Underwear in a Range of Sizes (for men and women: need both larger and smaller sizes)
  • Varied Sized Bras (don’t forget larger sizes, too)
  • Full Length and Short Length Socks
  • Industrial Size Body Wash
  • Wash Cloths
  • Towels
  • Razors (men’s and women’s)
  • Shower Shoes
  • Pull-ups
  • Baby Wipes
  • Diapers (size 3, size 4, & size 5)

Wait. Pull-ups? Baby Wipes? Diapers? Could you imagine having a baby living at a shelter?

I wondered what I could do to help. I’ve partnered with Huggies on this post and put together a list of items that really can make a difference in someone’s life.

huggies-in-cart
First, I went to my local Sam’s Club and purchased Huggies® Little Movers diapers.

By the way, I love the benefits of being a Sam’s Club member:

  • Free shipping on Diapers/Wipes. No need to shop in store. Have your order shipped right to your front door.
  • Club Pick up. If you’d rather pick up your order, instead of waiting for delivery, order online and pick up in store. No waiting!
  • Save time with subscriptions. Subscribe today and get your mus-haves shipped on a regular schedule of your choice.

Second, I donated the box of Huggies® Little Movers diapers. I hope this can make a small difference in a mom’s life.

huggies
If you’d like to make a donation of diapers and related items, here is a nifty idea for packing a diaper gift bag.5 Tips for Assembling the Perfect Diaper Bag What are you diaper bag essentials? Pack the must-needed items you would make sure to include in your diaper bag for a busy mom on the go!

5 Tips for Assembling the Perfect Diaper Bag

What are you diaper bag essentials? Pack the must-needed items you would make sure to include in your diaper bag for a busy mom on the go!

This great gift idea would include:

  • diapers
  • wipes
  • diaper cream
  • formula and bottles
  • snacks
  • change of clothes
  • blanket

What I Love About Huggies® Little Movers

• Shaped for fit and flexibility
• Available in sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6
• DryTouch® liner** absorbs on contact
• Double Grip Strips for a comfy fit that lasts
• Leak Lock Protection for up to 12 hours of protection
• SnugFit* waistband
• Features New Huggies® Brand Moving Baby System*
Only Huggies® diapers have a stretchy SnugFit Waistband to help our diapers stay in place like no other diaper. The unique contoured shape provides a comfortable fit and stays in place as babies move and play.
Now even more absorbent with new and improved LEAK LOCK®—the protection and security you both need between changes.

DryTouch® liner
Part of the new Moving Baby System*, the new DryTouch® liner absorbs on contact, so your baby stays dry throughout all of their little adventures.

Learn more about Huggies Little Movers diapers HERE.
Learn more about a Sam’s Club Membership HERE.

What would you add to this list of more than 100 items you can donate to make a real difference in someone’s life?

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RAKI WRIGHT
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Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Baby, Baby Showers, Diaper Bag, Gift Ideas, Sponsored

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charles Kemp says

    at

    I am glad that you mention that there are a lot of items that homeless shelters need. With how simple some of these donations can be we can really volunteer to help. I think it would be really nice to help someone out who is in dire need of it. I really like that you mentioned diapers because that isn’t something I would have thought to be important but a lot of homeless shelters have children as well. That would really help them out.

  2. Annie Frances says

    at

    I think it’s awful that people have to live in homeless shelters. I wish there was more I could do to help the people there, but this is a great list of things to give. This year, everyone in my family is going to donate at least one item to a homeless shelter. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

  3. Lisa says

    at

    Thank you, thank you, for this list! I would just add that things such as socks, bras, underwear, and slippers should be new. Everything else can be gently used, but please don’t use shelters as dumping grounds for crap. Thank you for reminding us that people in shelters also need art and play in their lives, not just blankets and food.

  4. Lisa says

    at

    Don’t forget women’s sanitary supplies. Homeless women often don’t have extra money for tampons, menstrual cups, panty liners or sanitary napkins.

Trackbacks

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    […] The shelters, soup kitchens, nursing homes, and food pantries are likely looking for some extra hands this season. It would be a great experience for you and your family to play games or read to children, help serve meals, play games or talk to residents, and help organize or distribute food. Do you know What Homeless Shelters Really Need This Time of Year? […]

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Welcome! I'm Raki. I am a working mom of 2 (20-year old son and 13-year old daughter). I share tips to balance work, family, and make time for you. More...

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