The Best Places To Donate Kids Items (That Do The Most Good)

With back to school, the early fall can be a great time to round up the kids and go through the items in their bedrooms and play rooms that are no longer providing value. When you donate your new or gently used children’s items to local non-profits with your kiddos in tow is also a great summertime activity and opportunity to share how good it feels to give to those who need it.

There are a lot of children and families in need in our community and an abundance of organizations who are ready to help.

The list below is in no set order but it covers a wide range of local organizations who are accepting donations of kid’s items (new and used) and really putting them to great use. Feel free to add your favorite place to donate kids items in Austin in the comments below!

The SAFE Alliance – Stop Abuse For Everyone

SAFE is a merger between the Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, our city’s domestic violence and abuse shelter.

Here are some suggested items that are specific to the needs of the Austin Children’s Shelter:

• Bike Locks
• Advanced Lego Sets
• Art Supplies
• Arts & Crafts Kits
• Ball Pumps
• Basketballs
• Footballs
• Construction Paper
• Handheld Electronic Games
• Headphones and Earbuds
• Science Kits
• Diapers and Wipes
• Non-Perishable Snack Items
• Gift cards are always welcome

SAFE says they prefer for all donations to be delivered to their SAFE Warehouse located at 1515-A Grove Blvd in Austin. Donations are also accepted at Austin Children’s Shelter (4800 Manor Rd, Building A) during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 4:30).

For more information, please call 512-499-0090 or email [email protected].

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Caritas of Austin

Caritas is a nonprofit whose goal is to prevent and end homeless in Austin. They provide many services, including those focused on housing, food, employment, refugee resettlement and veterans assistance.
Caritas helps provide assistance to people moving into new housing. Here are the Children’s items from their wish list:

• Diapers and Pull ups
• New toys
• New School supplies
• New Backpacks
• Cribs
• Car Seats
• New Baby Clothes

Donated items can be dropped off at their offices located at 611 Neches Street during the following times. Please pull your car around to the garage on the northside of our building and ring the bell for assistance.

• Monday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
• Tuesday: 8:30am – 6:30pm
• Wednesday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
• Thursday: 8:30am – 4:30pm
• Friday: 8:30am – 11:30am

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The Settlement Home For Children

The Settlement Home for Children is a private and licensed nonprofit that cares for children from abusive and neglectful backgrounds. These children come from the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services as well as Child Protective Services, juvenile probation, and post-adoption services.

While the Settlement Home does receive some funding through contracts with these institutions, they hold fundraisers each year to finish meeting their financial needs. Their largest event is their yearly Annual Garage & Estate Sale.

You can donate literally anything to this sale, including your baby and children’s items – the sale has 21 departements all run by volunteers. Your donated items are then sold at the event and all the proceeds go towards the Settlement Home.

This Garage & Estate Sale is a huge event, last year they raised more than $1.2 million.

They accept donations at their warehouse at 1600 Payton Gin Road on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can also request a pickup online and a volunteer will contact you about your donation and to schedule a time for the pickup.

For more information, check out their website.

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Casa Marianella

Casa Marianella is a nonprofit that provides shelter, food and full supportive services to homeless immigrants. Posada Esperanza is the family shelter at Casa Marianella and operates as a full-service transitional housing program for immigrant mothers and their children, escaping domestic or cultural violence. Posada Esperanza is made up of four homes in East Austin who currently house 14 mothers and nearly 30 children.

Here are a few things on their wish list that you can donate (new or gently used):

• Spanish and English children’s books: from first readers to middle school level
• Coloring books
• Crayons, Markers, Paint, Colored pencils, Other craft supplies
• Board games, puzzles, etc.
• Plastic dishes and cups
• Diapers (size 4 or 5) and wipes
• Blankets
• Strollers: (newborn and toddler)

Casa Marianella asks that you leave your donations in the car when you come by and come into the office to ask a staff person for help in bringing your gifts (to help enforce boundaries with kids receiving services.) For more information on the best drop off location, contact: [email protected].

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Center for Child Protection

The Center for Child Protection is a children’s advocacy center and the only non-profit in Travis County involved in the investigation of crimes against children. The center says its the first stop for children in Travis County who are suspected victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect and for children who have witnessed a violent crime, says the center.

The center is where children go for “recorded forensic interviews, medical exams, counseling and intervention during the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases.” All the services are provided to children and their protective caregivers at no charge and are available in English and Spanish.

There is a Kid’s Closet at the center that could use new items if you have anything to donate that still has the tag on it and is in its packaging. Here’s a list of some of the items they could use:

• Shoes for boys and girls: Infants to 17
• Undergarments for girls/boys/teens
• Craft kits, coloring books for tweens and teens
• Backpacks and tote bags
• Pull-ups and wipes
• Sketch/art notebooks
• Markers – regular and fine tip
• Colored pencils
• Masking tape and solid colors and printed duct tape
• Washable paint and watercolor sets
• Gently used or new Barbie or Groovy Girl dolls
• Baby dolls
• Plastic beads for bracelet making
• Stuffed animals (small and medium sized)
• Stuffed dogs
• Children’s books in Spanish
• New sheets – twin, full, queen

The center is located at 8509 FM 969, Bldg 2 in Austin. The phone number is: 512-472-1164. The Center for Child Protection is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

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Any Baby Can

Any Baby Can is nonprofit based in Austin that provide services and program that strengthen both families and children in need in the community. They do this in a variety of ways, from in-home therapies, medical case management, family support services and helping families navigate other resources.

Here are some new or gently used items on ABC’s wish list:

• Activity mats
• Air mattresses
• Boppy pillows
• Bumbo seats
• Children’s books (English and/or Spanish)
• Clothes for newborn to school age
• Educational toys for newborn to school age
• Highchairs
• Nursery equipment
• Pack-n-play portable cribs
• Push and walk toys
• Safety gates
• Strollers

Any Baby Can is located at 6207 Sheridan Ave in Austin, but for drop off locations and more information you can call (512) 454-3743 or email them at [email protected]

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Foster Village Austin

Foster Village Austin supports children and families in the Austin area welfare system. Their programs aim to meet basic needs, provide therapeutic support, and promote community engagement.

One way Foster Village supports children is through the creation of “Welcome Packs” for children entering a foster home. They use donations from the community to create these packs.

They could use the following items in new or “link new” condition or similar to items you would see in a children’s consignment store.

• Children’s clothing in new or ‘like new’ condition (all sizes for 0-18)
• Double strollers
• Travel systems
• Snap n Go strollers
• Crib mattresses
• Infant carriers
• Baby monitors (video monitors are in especially high demand for safety reasons)
• Preemie size clothes in good condition
• New shoes, all sizes
• New packs of diapers, all sizes
• New packs of socks, all sizes
• New underpants, all sizes
• $20 grocery store gift cards for foster parents

Donate drop off locations are currently in Dripping Springs, Round Rock, and north Austin. You can fill out this form online with the items you’re interested in donating and they can help arrange the best drop-off location.

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Florence’s Comfort House

Flo’s Comfort House is a small nonprofit founded by Florence Ponziano who started the organization in her home to help support children in her Montopolis neighborhood. The house is focused on meeting children’s basic needs. This includes providing food, clothing, school supplies, and a safe place to study and play. 

Flo’s Comfort House is located at 515 Kemp St. in Austin. They welcome monetary donations as well as new/gently used:

• Baby and kids clothes
• Diapers and Pull-Ups
• Art Supplies

They’re also open to other things you may want to donate. To contact, email [email protected].

What did we miss? Share other great spots (who do good!) to donate in Austin.