The most useful items to donate to shelters and unhoused people

It’s the season of giving and in kind donation drives are usually in full swing throughout the holiday and winter months.

But while you may have the best intentions and there’s no wrong way to give, there are some items that are more in demand and more useful to those in need as well as shelters that serve them.

Maritza Sanchez, the executive director of the Red Door Family Shelter says food remains the number one priority. Non perishable items like pasta, rice, canned tuna, corn, beans, lentils and soup are usually at the top of the list.

“There’s a lot of food insecurity and at the Red Door Family shelter, we are very fortunate that we receive funding from the City of Toronto and for our other shelter, from the province. However, it’s not sufficient funding to meet all the needs of the families that we support on a daily basis,” she says.

“For the families that leave the shelter, we support them as well for two years afterwards, and they rely heavily on our food bank. And at times, unfortunately, the food bank can be empty. So that is one of our biggest goals, is to always have the shelves stocked with food for those families that depend on that.”

For the winter season, Sanchez says coats and gloves are always welcome, but most shelters are always in need of personal hygiene and care items as well as cleaning and household products. Most wanted items include:

• Soap
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body wash
• Moisturizer
• Laundry detergent
• Disinfectant and other cleaning products
• Hair brush
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Nail clippers
• Razors
• Period products
• Bedding
• Towels
• Dish sets and utensils
• Stainless steel pots and pans

Sanchez says items must be new and unused and when donating hygiene items, it’s best to ensure they are unscented.

“One of the things that is kind of new for us is that we’re also trying to fill the need of diverse cultures and ethnicities, and therefore the requirement for culturally appropriate type of products is high. We would like things like shea butter, castor oil, things that people might not be thinking about, but there’s a lot of families and especially women that rely on those kind of products and they’re not easy to get and they can be very expensive,” she says.

Family shelters that house children are also in need of diapers, baby wipes and infant formula. Sanchez says people tend to donate smaller sized diapers for infants more often, but they also need larger sizes for toddlers. For formula, accessible brands readily available in grocery stores are preferred.

If you’re looking to donate toys for the kids, keep in mind that space in shelter rooms across the city is limited.

“Donors have the best intention and they’ll give a child a big truck [for example] and unfortunately they’re not able to accommodate that without causing inconvenience to the family. And even for those families that move out, they’re moving into tight quarters usually because the rents are so high, trying to get a big apartment these days, it’s almost impossible in Toronto,” says Sanchez.

When donating directly to those who are unhoused or sleeping outside street nurse Madison Joyce with Street Nurses Network Toronto says the main principles to keep in mind are warmth, safety and accessibility.

The most common items needed include:

• Coats
• Hats and gloves
• Boots and socks
• Underwear
• Blankets and tarps
• Bike locks and padlocks
• Flashlight
• Backpack
• Hand sanitizer
• Band-aids

“If you’re looking at giving food items, definitely think about things that are easy on the teeth, easy to prepare, lightweight and compact when possible and also temperature stable,” she says.

Also keep in mind the realities of living outdoors, like lack of storage and kitchen tools.

“You want to think about not using any extra tools. So what are you going to take if you’re going camping or on a hike, say for instance — you don’t have access to a fridge and you don’t have access to the tools that you might need. You don’t have a can opener, you don’t have a microwave. You’ve got what’s on your body,” she says.

“[So try to make sure] that whatever you do give people, they can prepare in that context or it’s easy to carry with them. Prepared food is an option as well. I would also consider something along the lines of a reusable cutlery set. That’s something that could be really handy for folks because even if they get these meals prepared and handed out, they might not be able to eat them [without utensils].”

Food items that are most suitable to donate to those living outdoors include:

• Electrolyte drinks
• Protein beverages
• Dried sausage, jerky or other such preserved items
• Apple sauce
• Green beans
• Grapes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Granola or protein bars

“[If they] might be able to access a microwave or boiling water, I’d think about things like instant noodles, instant soups, instant oatmeal, instant coffee,” she says.

For winter, moisturizer, lip balm, lozenges and facial tissue are also useful. Joyce adds that donations don’t always have to be monetary or in kind. 

“Giving information about local drop-ins and meal programs can be really handy,” she says.

For business owners with brick and mortar stores who want to help, Joyce suggests lending a safe warm space and access to a bathroom.

“Barriers are higher than ever, but there’s always things that we can do to help support folks,” she says.

“One thing everybody can afford is compassion.”