Donations of Goods and Items

Making an in-kind donation — a contribution of goods — is a great way to support our mission of serving the vulnerable in our community. To ensure we best meet the needs of our clients, we have specific guidelines about what we can accept. If you a question about a specific item, please contact us.

ITEMS WE CAN ACCEPT

Food Assistance
Interested in helping those who struggle with hunger and food insecurity? The most effective way is to make a gift to our food programs.

Vehicles
Contact Deacon Jim Nalls, executive director of our Family, Parish and Community Outreach department, for more information.

NEW Men’s
and Women’s Clothing

  • Sweatpants
  • Sweatshirts
  • T-shirts
  • Undergarments
  • Socks
  • Hats
  • Gloves

Hygiene Products

  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Lotion
  • Deodorant
  • Soap
  • Washcloth and towel
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste

Items must be in personal-sized packages.

NEW Household Items

  • Comforters
  • Sheets
  • Towels

Other Items

  • Metro cards
  • Amusement park day passes
  • Diapers Size 3
  • Similac Advance Milk Formula
  • Books if they are boxed, weighing less than 50 pounds*

Amazon Wish List

Want to support Catholic Charities without leaving your home?
Visit our Amazon Wish List.

Care Packages

For returning citizens, new moms, and newcomers. Click here to  learn more.

Items WE CAN’T ACCEPT

Families come to us looking for basic essentials, and we want to provide them with items that are in dignity condition. We do not accept items that are damaged or in poor condition.

Secondhand Items

  • Used adult or children’s clothing
  • Used sheets, comforters and towels
  • Used beds, cribs, mattresses, box springs and mattress pads
  • Used toys

Certain Hygiene Products

  • Opened or expired items
  • Razors
  • Mouthwash
  • Medication

Luxury Items

  • Fur coats
  • Jewelry
  • Wine refrigerators

Household Items

  • Desks and office furniture
  • Glass furniture
  • Patio furniture
  • Ceiling fans
  • Carpeting
  • Tube TVs
  • Computer monitors
  • Anything that needs to be installed
  • The following books*:
  • Encyclopedias
  • National Geographic magazines
  • Magazines of any kind
  • Textbooks
  • Newspapers

Hazardous Materials
and Dangerous Items

  • Batteries
  • Paint
  • Chemicals
  • Cleaning products
  • Poisons
  • Gasoline
  • Propane cylinders
  • BBQ grills
  • Camp stoves
  • Fireworks

Weapons

  • Weapons of any kind

Miscellaneous

  • Swing sets
  • Pet food and pet items
  • Basketball hoops
  • Pool tables
  • Ping pong tables
  •  Bikes with missing parts, flat tires, or rust
  •  Greeting cards
  • Hangers
  • Fireplace accessories
  • Water coolers

If you are hoping to pass on items from our unaccepted list, please try Freecycle or CharityChoices.com. Or visit the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s recycling and disposal information page.

 

Other opportunities to help those in need

Make a financial donation


Donate

Donate your time and talents


Volunteer

 

Frequently asked Questions

Unfortunately, Catholic Charities does not posses a vehicle for pick-up. Please contact us for further information to arrange your donation to be delivered to the location of where it can be used.

 We ask for 24-48 hours to determine if the donation is needed.

 No, your donation will not be donated to a Catholic Charities employee per company policy. 100% of your donation goes to the client Catholic Charities serves.

Yes, donors will receive a receipt for their donation upon the exchange of goods.

No. Catholic Charities will not be able to place a value on your donation per IRS standards. Please visit this link to determine the fair-market value for non-cash charitable contributions: Instructions for Form 8283 (Rev. December 2020) (irs.gov)

Please call Catholic Charities at 202-772-4394 to coordinate a drop-off time at our headquarters, 924 G. St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.