Events, Drives, & Wishlists

Drives

Schools, businesses, faith groups, and neighbors often organize donation drives for Abby’s House. If your group wants to collect for us, here’s how to get started.

How It Works

• Reach out first. Email Alexander Whitehead at alexander@abbyshouse.org to let him know you’d like to organize a drive.
• Get a custom list. Ask for a list tailored to your group’s size, timeline, and the season. He can point you to what’s most needed right now.
• Set a timeline. Set a start and end date that gives your group enough time to collect and enough notice for us to prepare.
• Schedule your drop off. Contact Alexander to schedule your drop off. Bring items inside and place them on the cart in the lobby. Please don’t leave items outside unannounced.

Drive Ideas

• A cleaning supply drive tied to spring cleaning season.
• A gift card drive for the holidays.
• A hygiene and toiletry drive through a school, church, or workplace.
• A food pantry drive around Thanksgiving.

Questions about organizing a drive? Contact Alexander Whitehead at alexander@abbyshouse.org or 508-756-5486 ext. 209.

Wishlist

Our needs change from week to week. This list reflects what residents and staff need most right now. Please check back before you shop or drop off.

We can only accept brand new items. We are not able to accept furniture or used baby and children’s items at our safe shelter, housing, or Thrift Shop.

Most Immediate Needs

Clorox Wipes, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Paper Towels, Power-free Nitrile Medium Gloves, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Bathroom Disinfectant with Bleach, Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner, Stove and Oven Cleaner, All Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner, Bleach, Trash Bags, 8 oz. Soup Cups with Lids, Deli Containers with Lids (half pint, pint, and quart sizes).

Resident & Guest Needs

HP 910XL Tri-color and Black ink for printers in the Annette Rafferty Women’s Empowerment Center, liquid laundry detergent (travel sized preferred), fabric softener (travel sized preferred), craft kits for adults, word puzzle books, neutral colored twin comforters, Swiffer WetJet mop starter kit, broom with attached dustpan.

Snacks for resident and guest programs: juices, chips, healthy granola bars, popcorn, K-Cup coffee pods, coffee cups with lids, individual creamers and sugar packets.

Food & Nutrition Program

High priority items:

• Disposable clamshell take out food containers
• Dawn dish soap
• 8 oz. paper soup cups with lids
• Extra virgin olive oil (half gallon or gallon bottles)
• Disposable plastic utensils
• Bounty paper towels
• Heavy duty paper plates (10″) and bowls
• Disposable napkins and paper coffee cups with lids
• Plastic deli containers with lids (half pint, pint, and quart sizes)

Food Pantry Needs

Dry goods: cereal, jelly, jam, peanut butter, Pasta Roni, Rice-a-Roni, plain oats, oatmeal, shelf stable side dishes, rice, whole grains.

Baking: brownie mix, muffin mix and other baking mixes, flour, sugar.

Beverages: boxed organic milk, coffee, juice and juice boxes, shelf stable coffee creamer cups.

Healthy snacks: trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, popcorn, fruit snacks, pretzels, chips, granola bars, apple sauce, cookies.

Condiments, seasonings, and oils: salad dressings, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable or canola oil, sugar packets, artificial sweetener packets.

Canned goods: baked beans, Chef Boyardee, pasta sauce, canned beans, tuna, chicken broth, diced tomatoes.

Perishables (please donate with enough time to sort, store, and give to residents before the expiration date): fresh produce, fresh meat and cheese, yogurt, fresh eggs.

Gift Cards

Gift cards let us purchase supplies as needed and give women a way to buy groceries, gas, phone minutes, or household necessities.

Target, Amazon, Market Basket, Michael’s, Price Chopper, Gala Foods Supermarket, Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Red Cab gift certificates, Uber and Lyft, UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Walmart, Dollar Tree, Home Depot, gas cards, prepaid Visa gas cards, prepaid phone cards, American Express gift cards, Visa gift cards, movie theater cards or tickets, downtown Worcester restaurant gift cards.

Housekeeping

Neutral colored bath mats, Lysol spray or other aerosol disinfecting spray, dish and hand soap refills or pump bottles, neutral multipurpose cleaner (we cannot accept Fabuloso due to an allergy sensitivity), Sprayway glass cleaner, white microfiber bath mats, white fabric shower curtains, Febreze air freshener, twin mattress protectors, zippered.

Maintenance & Housing

7 gallon plastic waste baskets (4 needed), Command Strip hooks and picture hangers, heavy duty contractor trash bags, 5 gallon and 13 gallon rubbish bags, paper lawn and leaf bags.

Office Supplies

Paper shredders, postage stamps, 8 1/2″ x 11″ copy paper, HP 952XL black and tri color ink, pens, thin permanent markers, Post-it notes, AAA and AA batteries.

Shop the List, Ship It Directly

You can purchase many of these items directly through our Needs List, and they’ll ship straight to Abby’s House.

View the Needs List →

Please include your name and contact information with your order so we can thank you for your support.

Bring It In Person

Email Alexander at alexander@abbyshouse.org to schedule a drop off time. Once you arrive, bring items inside and place them on the cart at the right side of the lobby. Reception staff will greet you. Please do not leave items outside unannounced.

Questions about any of the above? Contact Alexander Whitehead at alexander@abbyshouse.org or 508-756-5486 ext. 209.