Hundreds of people come to FIRST UNITED each day seeking comfort, care and a place to belong. When you donate items, you increase free access to basic personal hygiene and emergency care items and provide vital support to our neighbours in need. During the winter months, cold weather items can literally save lives. We distribute clothing and essential items through our community help desk, shelter, provide items to other service providers and warming centres, and directly distribute items to folks in the Downtown Eastside.
Important information before you donate items:
While we are grateful for people’s excitement to help, note that we can only accept the items listed below. This list is updated regularly to reflect current needs. We do not accept any children’s clothing or items.
Please ensure that your items are clean and in good condition before donating. We do not have the resources to launder, clean, or mend items before distributing them. Items in poor condition or that are dirty are disposed of, creating additional work and cost for us. We strive to always treat members of the community with dignity, which includes providing them with clean clothing that is in good repair. If you would not wear the item because it’s dirty or in poor condition, please do not donate it. When in doubt, please call 604.335.9354.
Fall 2026:
We’re in need of the following items in new and original packaging, or gently-used (for clothing items):
• Sweatpants – men’s and women’s
• T-Shirts (Adult Size)
• Hoodies
• Winter jackets
• Toques
• Rain ponchos
• Umbrellas
• Socks (must be new)
• Underwear (must be new)
• Toothbrushes (must be new in original packaging)
• Sleeping bags
• Tampons & Pads
• Combs/Hairbrushes
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Bar Soap
• Towels
• McDonald’s and Tim Hortons gift cards in $5 and $10 amounts
• Items that can be used as bingo prizes:
– New board games, card games
– Nail Polish
– Notebooks
Dropping Off your Gifts In-Kind
All donations should be brought through the front entrance at 320 East Hastings St. where a staff member or volunteer will be happy to assist you.
Drop off times are Tuesdays – Thursdays, 9am – 12pm, and 1pm – 3pm.
Tax Receipts for Gifts In-Kind
In order to receive a charitable tax receipt for your donated gifts of goods please fill out our Gifts In-Kind Donation Form and submit your original receipt for the value of the items. Your Gifts In-Kind Donation Form and receipt can be provided when you drop off your items, or you can scan and email to [email protected]. Unfortunately, we cannot issue charitable tax receipts for items without a receipt.
If you have any questions about donating gifts in-kind please contact our Development team at 604.336.3047 or [email protected].
Other organizations accepting gifts of goods
While we can only accept the above listed items, there are a number of other important organizations accepting in-kind gifts that we encourage you to direct other items to:
