What to Donate to Family Charities

Depending on the values of the charity you support, there’s a specific type of assistance they need, which sometimes includes physical items. Most have an ongoing need to cover operating costs, but in addition to that, nonprofits such as women’s shelter charities also have wish lists.

A good time to consider how to donate to women’s shelters is when you’re cleaning cupboards and closets, because you can easily run across items that are commonly in short supply. What seems to you like inexpensive everyday tools, or even luxuries, can raise the quality of life for someone depleted of resources.

For many means of support, such as safe houses for women and children escaping domestic abuse, donated garments are always needed. Much of the time the clients of these nonprofit services leave their homes with nothing but the shirts on their backs. Most charities related to the welfare of women and kids will include clothing donations and shoe donations on their lists of supplies they need donated.

Some of the clothing and accessories you can donate are:

• Bras and underwear

• Pajamas

• Walking shoes

• Cosmetics, nail polish, makeup

• Toiletries, facewash, toothbrush, hair products, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant

• Clothing, shirts, pants, business attire, jeans

• Feminine products

Another thing you can donate to domestic abuse victims is a means to get to a workplace to keep their jobs. But there are also other important reasons they need transportation. They often have hurdles to overcome in getting to childcare, showing up for court appearances, and making it to medical appointments, for instance.

Even when a victim of domestic abuse feels she can breathe a sigh of relief that she’s now out of the pathway of an abuser, the life of her and her children must move forward, which includes showing up for work. Many of these brave women also struggle to keep the lives of their kids as normal as possible despite their circumstances. In most cities, that requires a way to get from Point A to Point B.

To expand their options in transportation you can:

• Directly make a car donation through companies like Cars2Charities 

• Purchase gas cards

• Purchase bus or train passes for women without transportation

Providing updated technology:

Another need for nearly every modern-day woman, whether she’s in a homeless shelter or not, is adequate, appropriate technological tools. For instance, if she needs to find work in order to gain independence due to a challenging situation, she can’t apply for a job through online sources such as Indeed, Glassdoor or ZipRecruiter without access.

Do you have an older Dell just sitting in the garage collecting dust? Or a monitor that works perfectly well, but you already have one? Even if your PC can only do word processing, it’s better than nothing at all.

Old computers and cell phones help women get back on their feet by giving them wi-fi connections for work, or the ability to apply for a new job. And cell phones provide communication and safety, especially if she has to interface with an abusive ex or walk alone at night.

Donating Directly to Specific Charities for Women

Of course, there are many reputable conduits for placing financial support in the right hands. But if you’d rather do something more direct, there’s that opportunity too.

You can send resources or manpower directly to the place it’s needed in several ways:

• Donate your vehicle through Cars2Charities, where the car is sold and the money is sent to a nonprofit in need, which you get to choose. • Write a check directly to the charity you wish to support.

• Volunteer at a homeless shelter or another favorite charity.

• Make a homeless shelter donation.

Sadly, children are often collateral damage in cases where a husband and father is violent, or when a mother is diagnosed with a fatal disease. When “mom” is out of commission, a lot of things fall through the cracks, which means the kids suffer too.

There are supplies you can offer families through many responsible charities for women. They can typically use:

• Diapers

• Books

• Children’s toys

• Baby wipes

• Clothing and shoes

Types of Charities

With the rise in awareness about women’s issues, it’s easy to find out how to donate to women’s shelters and to support other females who are facing various challenges. There are more opportunities than ever to support the work of organizations already making a difference.

When you donate your vehicle through Cars2Charities, you can make a homeless shelter donation to support people who are in economic turmoil. Or you may choose another worthy charity – one that includes residential care, or a nonprofit providing scholarships.

We have worked with hundreds of charities, creating partnerships with donors and nonprofits to send money to hurting, vulnerable people.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Donations to fund breast cancer research, treatment, and patients range from clothes donations to car donations. While all charities accept monetary donations, some charities also accept clothing, shoes, and feminine products. Donating through Cars2Charities transforms a car donation for breast cancer into funds to aid research and support patients and their families.

Single Mothers Outreach

Serving the area of Santa Clarita, California, Single Mothers Outreach has offered clothing to hundreds of women who are handling the child-rearing and holding down jobs. But giving moms free clothing from their Newhall thrift store, Closet on Main, is just a small contribution made by this charity.

The nonprofit also connects single parents to vital community resources.

They help women to grow personally through training programs and helping low-income family members find jobs. Single Mothers Outreach is more than just an entity to hand out assistance. It is a growing community banding together to hold each other up, raising children with the care and inspiration of others. 

Shoes for the Homeless Inc.

A charity that collects and distributes footwear, Shoes for the Homeless provides protection for the feet of individuals who don’t have the means to pay for it. The charity’s mission is to distribute shoes free of charge throughout the Greater Los Angeles area.

It was founded by Dr. Ira Diamond, a podiatrist who has been helping individuals who are living on the streets for the last few decades. Using the tagline “Helping the homeless, one step at a time,” Diamond recognized that wearing shoes contributes to their quality of life and improves their self-confidence. Family charities such as Shoes for the Homeless offers support to men and children in need, in addition to women who are facing challenges. 

WISEPlace

WISEPlace transforms the lives of over 300 women each year, by providing safe, affordable transitional housing, healthy meals, financial-empowerment curriculum and employment assistance, to help women move from homelessness and hopelessness to self-reliance. Case managers provide personalized counseling to help each woman overcome issues that led to unemployment and homelessness.

Orange County Rescue Mission

If you want to know how to donate to women in shelters in Southern California, Orange County Rescue Mission gives you that opportunity. There is a wide range of methods for contributing money to the cause, including stock investments, meal sponsorship or a car donation.

Like most homeless shelters, they have an ongoing need for household items, from food and clothing to bedding and towels. The website for Orange County Rescue Mission also has an “urgent needs” category, which sometimes includes baby items or specific foods. You can also support the Tustin charity by shopping. Ralphs grocery store, Amazon Smile and Twosome Socks are a few of the online sources of revenue for the mission. 

Car Donation to Benefit Women

Donating a car to women and families is possible through Cars2Charities, which turns a vehicle you don’t need into the resources a nonprofit does need. The beauty is that if you want to donate to a family shelter, or if you have another 501(c)(3) in mind, you can choose where the value of your vehicle is donated. 

It’s not a direct donation to provide wheels – it’s an easy way to find a new home for your car and turn its value into support for women’s shelter charities or other resources. There are countless ways to make women’s shelter donations. To scroll through choices, visit Womenshelters.org, where you will find transitional housing, domestic violence shelters and other resources. There is also a homeless shelter directory, if you’re looking for housing in a particular location. 

If the idea that women can use some extra support is a constant concern for you, it’s nice to know there are many ways you can help. People who have time for volunteerism offer the elbow grease many charities need, which is a big help, to be sure. But if you lack the time to physically volunteer, you can make a car donation or contribute cash to provide more resources to women and families. Women’s shelter charities abound, plus there are other nonprofits that can help you make contact. They will be grateful to you!