Needs List

Donate goods for our homeless neighbors

Food, clothing, health care items, gift cards, office/school supplies, household items, and baby items are needed to keep our programs and services running at full speed. Every item you donate means the world to the men, women, and children receiving them. 

Urgent Needs
Food
Clothing 
Health Care
Gift Cards
Office/School Supplies
Household
Baby
Miscellaneous

Urgent Needs

• Paper plates
• Plastic cutlery
• Razors
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Snack foods
• Self-heating meals
• Sets of bath towels
• Sets of bed sheets (Twin, Full, Queen)
• Non-perishable food
• Meat (fresh and canned)
• Razors & shaving cream
• Men’s clothing (jeans and khakis particularly needed)
• Full-size deodorant
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste
• Undergarments for men, women, and children/youth

Food

Your donations to feed hungry people at our shelters is just the beginning! Search & Rescue volunteers deliver water and sandwiches to our homeless neighbors — all thanks to you! Your generous donations of food also provide emergency food boxes and community meals. Every food donation finds its way into the hands of someone who otherwise would go hungry.

Hunger must be satisfied before someone can imagine a different life. For more information regarding our food needs, get in touch with Scott — sswansen@ugm.org or (206) 723-0767 x450. Please note, we are unable to accept open containers of unprepared food.

• Protein bars
• Snack foods  
• Fresh, frozen, or canned meat/fish
• Breakfast meat
• Pancake syrup
• Jam and jelly
• Peanut butter
• Canned corn, green beans, carrots
• Canned fruit
• Cold cereal
• Canned chili & stew
• Pasta & pasta sauces
• Sugar

Clothing

Your new and gently used clothing donations are distributed free of charge to men, women, and children in need. Clothing should be laundered, free of tears and stains, and not have missing buttons or snaps. Please note that 80% of people we serve are men.

While all types of clothing are accepted, we are particularly seeking the following items:

• Tube socks
• New underwear for men (size 36/38 and above)
• Women’s undergarments
• Men’s jeans and khakis
• Men’s shirts and sweaters
• Shoes
• Winter wear (hats, coats, gloves)
• pajamas

Health Care

A shower, hair wash, and dry clean clothes are simple things our homeless neighbors don’t take for granted. So many make do without access to soap, deodorant, or shaving supplies. Others struggle with mounting dental issues in the absence of toothbrushes or toothpaste. Your generous gifts of hygiene items give men, women, and children a renewed sense of dignity as well as improved mental and physical health.

Thousands of hygiene items are used in our shelters and distributed from our Search & Rescue vans. Full size, or travel — it makes no difference. We can use them all!

Please note, we are unable to accept donations of partially used containers of a product, mouthwash containing alcohol, and prescription medication/needles.

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Deodorant
• Razors
• Shaving Cream
• Foot Powder
• Feminine Hygiene Products
• Body Spray
• Mouthwash (non-alcoholic)
• Dental Floss Q-Tips

Gift Cards

• Bus tickets or passes
• Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer
• Phone calling cards (10+ minutes)
• Target
• Walmart
• Bartell's, Walgreen's, Rite-Aid
• McDonald's
• Fast food restaurants
• Old Navy
• Barnes & Noble
• Joanne's
• Michael's
• Music stores

Office/School Supplies

• Copy paper (white, astrobright, and assorted colors, size: 8.5 x 11)
• Paper Shredders
• Spiral notebooks
• Mini USB flash/thumb drive (at least 256MB)
• Journals
• Clear packing tape
• Dry erase markers & erasers
• Large post-it easel pads
• Post-its

Household

• Blankets 
• Sets of bath towels and washcloths
• Matched sets of silverware for 4
• Matched sets of dishes for 4
• Pots & pans
• Sets of bed sheets (Twin, Full, Queen)
• Gently used furniture
• Mattresses & box springs (Twin, Full, Queen), gently used with no rips or stains

Baby

• Wipes
• Pampers (all sizes)
• Formula
• Baby food and cereal

Miscellaneous

• Paper plates
• Paper napkins
• Teen Study Bibles (NIV)
• Children’s Bibles (NLT)
• Umbrellas
• Bibles (NASV)
• Hand sanitizer (pump bottles)
• Water bottles (reusable)
• Plastic cutlery