Donate
In-kind needs
A short, specific list. Short on purpose — a donation we cannot use costs us storage and staff time.
Most needed
- New socks — the single most requested item, every year
- New underwear, all sizes
- Hygiene items: soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, razors
- Menstrual products
- Wound care supplies: gauze, tape, antiseptic wipes, adhesive bandages
- Foot care: antifungal cream, nail clippers, moisture-wicking socks
Seasonal
- Winter: hats, gloves, thermal layers, hand warmers, sleeping bags
- Summer: sunscreen, wide-brim hats, electrolyte packets, water bottles
- Rain gear, year round
Horticulture program
- Hand tools: trowels, pruners, loppers, spades
- Work gloves, all sizes
- Native Missouri prairie seed and plugs
- Kneeling pads, wheelbarrows, watering equipment
What we cannot accept
Saying this plainly saves everyone time, and it is not ingratitude:
- Used underwear, socks or hygiene items — new only
- Expired or opened medication, including over-the-counter. Take these to a pharmacy take-back program
- Used medical equipment we cannot verify or clean
- Large furniture — we have no storage for it
- Food requiring refrigeration at our office
Arranging a drop-off
Please contact us before bringing anything, so someone is there and we know it is coming. Email give@valormedica.org or call (314) 250-5100.
4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 210
St. Louis, MO 63134
Running a drive
Workplace, congregation and school drives work well for socks and hygiene items. Tell us the dates and we will give you a current needs list, because it changes with the season.
Receipts
We will acknowledge in-kind gifts in writing with a description of what was received. IRS rules mean we cannot assign a value to donated goods — that valuation is the donor’s responsibility.
What is most needed
- New socks and underwear, in adult sizes. Socks are the single most requested item and the most quickly used.
- Weather protection: gloves, hats, ponchos, hand warmers, blankets.
- Hygiene items in travel sizes, including menstrual products.
- Bottled water, and shelf-stable food that opens without a tool.
- New sleeping bags and tarps.
- Gift cards for transport and groceries.
What we cannot accept
Used underwear or socks, expired food or medication, prescription medication of any kind, and anything requiring refrigeration on arrival. We also cannot take large furniture. Declining an item is not ingratitude — storing and disposing of what cannot be used costs the programme time it does not have.
Before you run a drive
Ask us what is short first. Drives organized around what is currently needed are considerably more useful than drives organized around what is easy to collect, and a short conversation beforehand prevents a garage full of items nobody can use.
Socks and boots are a medical intervention here — this is why.