Wish List In-Kind Items

FamilyMeans Donation Wish ListFamilyMeans accepts new and gently-used donations of certain items all throughout the year.

Suggestions appear below, but if you have ideas on how your specific resources can be put to good use, please contact our Development & Communications Director at 651-789-4029 or FamilyMeans@FamilyMeans.org. Thank you.

 

CAREGIVER RESPITE GROUPS (OLDER ADULTS)

Items for Group Respite

Older adults whose family/friend caregivers need a break come to FamilyMeans to spendtime with volunteers and staff. Together the group enjoys games, music, art activities, movement, and other programming that provides fun, companionship, and needed supervision. These would be helpful:

  • Puzzles with 100 or fewer larger pieces
  • Bingo prizes (large candy bars, small packages of cookies or salty snacks, packages of note cards, soap, etc.)

 

Items for In-Home Respite

Screened and trained volunteers spend time with a person who needs friendly companionship and supervision in their home so that their caregiver can have a few hours away. Sometimes the volunteers bring items with them to help facilitate their visits or soothe the person they are visiting.

  • Books with pictures to spark conversations (photos of landscapes or seasons, pictures of activities or events a person could reminisce about, a picture book about holidays, etc.)

 

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (AGES 5-18)

Food/Basic Needs

  • Movie Night Snacks: soda, juice, pizza, chips, or movie candy
  • Toiletries: toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, deodorant, lotion, chapstick, etc.

Arts & Crafts 

  • Markers: Crayola washable thin or regular markers, Sharpie markers, dry erase markers or erasers
  • Paper: loose drawing paper, lined paper, math/grid paper, construction paper, sketch pads or drawing tablets, and poster board
  • Crafts: glue and glue sticks, paper, slime kits, craft sticks, or pompoms
  • Painting supplies: canvases, paints, or brushes

Indoor Recreation

  • Computer games: Nintendo Switch, XBOX 360 and 1G Wii or headphones
  • Learning toys: math or manipulative-type toys that can be stored in buckets (e.g. Legos, Magnetix or building blocks) 
  • Cleaning Supplies: Clorox wipes, window cleaner, etc. 

Outdoor Recreation & Sports

  • Rain Apparel: rain jackets (preferably waterproof and breathable), larger youth sizes and any adult sizes
  • Waterproof winter gloves and hats, size 5-medium, winter boots
  • Sports equipment: playground balls, soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, tennis balls and rackets, air pumps, soccer cleats, soccer socks, goalie gloves, mouth or shin guards
  • Games: Giant Jenga, bean bag toss, or frisbee golf

Prizes/Incentives

  • Ideas: novelty notebooks or pencils, headbands/hair-ties, trading cards, fidgets, water bottles, sports bags, or sports-related merchandise

 

FamilyMeans is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (EIN 41-6045574). As such, gifts to FamilyMeans are tax deductible according to IRS regulations.