Guidelines for Donors

BWRI appreciates every generous offer of a donated item or service, and we thank members of the community for thinking of us. Some categories of donations are especially needed. Please contact us if you can offer any of the following:

• Clothing Items:
  • Ladies' and children's underwear (bras and underpants), brand new and in original packaging, in a variety of sizes;
  • Ladies' and children's socks and pantihose, brand new in original packaging, in a variety of sizes;
  • Ladies' and children's sleepwear and bathrobes, new or almost new, in a variety of sizes.
• Gift Certificates: Gift certificates to hardware stores (Home Depot, etc), discount stores (Wal-Mart, etc), bookstores (Barnes & Noble, etc), office supply stores, and other businesses are greatly appreciated. Our clients can use gift certificates for clothing, toiletries and personal care services. Gift certificates for recreational activities, such as movie theatres and roller skating, are greatly appreciated.
• Pre-paid Telephone Calling Cards
• Certificates for Utility Companies Electricity, natural gas, heating oil, etc.
• Gasoline Cards
• Portable Flip Chart for presentations
• Personal Care Products and Diapers Larger sizes of diapers are especially appreciated.
• Office Supplies All types of standard office supplies, including pens, pencils, manila folders, copier paper, pendaflex folders, markers, and so on are appreciated.
• Bus passes and train tickets For the MART system, MBTA Commuter Rail, or Peter Pan buses
• Household Cleaning Supplies
• Services and Skills: BWRI welcomes people who are able to donate time and skills to provide services, including hair styling and self-care workshops (yoga, stress management, exercise, nutritional counseling, etc) for shelter guests. We also need people who are willing to do yard work, shovel snow, perform minor household maintenance, assist in organizing storage areas, and other helpful tasks. Donated automotive maintenance and repair services would be greatly appreciated by both the agency and some of our shelter guests. If you have a service or skill you'd like to donate, contact the Leominster office, 978-537-2306.

Due to limited storage space, we are suggesting the following information to our generous donors:

• "Pre-Worn" Clothing: Please consider donating these to Ginny's Thrift Shop or the Salvation Army, both of which assist our clients.
• Infant and Child Safety Equipment: Due to strict safety standards, we can only accept items such as strollers, car seats, and booster seats if they are less than two years old and in mint condition. We are required to discard any child safety item that is more than five years old.
• Infant's and Children's Toys: All donated toys should be new or nearly new and in perfect working order.
• Books and Videos: Please consider donating these items to your local library's book sale.
• Kitchenwares and Small Appliances: Please consider donating these to Ginny's Thrift Shop or the Salvation Army.
• Household Linens: The Aralia shelter welcomes donations of new towels, face cloths, twin bed sheets, or twin bed mattress pads, blankets and comforters. If you have used linens or other household fabric goods to donate, please consider Ginny's Thrift Shop or the Salvation Army.
• Furniture and Large Appliances: If you have such items in good repair to donate, we suggest Ginny's Thrift Shop.
• Food: We welcome donations of non-perishable food items. If you have a large amount of perishable food, please consider Our Father's House, which feeds many people per day.