When you sort through the clothes in your closet or finally clean out the garage, there are always the obvious places to take your boxes or bags of donations.
If you want your pre-loved items to benefit your neighbors, you can pick local, lesser known options.
We gathered a list of spots in Indianapolis where you can donate kids’ clothes, eyeglasses, medical supplies, books and even breast milk.
Children’s clothes and supplies
The Little Timmy Project gives pregnant people supplies and support for the first year of a baby’s life. The nonprofit needs donations of formula, car seats, diapers, baby wipes, bottles, baby wash and pack and plays.
You can drop off donations 12:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Little Mom Shop, inside Cornerstone Lutheran Church, 2837 E. New York St.
If you want to receive help, sign up for a new client appointment on Wednesdays. Returning clients can shop on Saturdays, too.
Lambswear is a free clothing store that serves children, from preemies to teenagers. They accept clothes, coats, socks, underwear and shoes. You can drop off clothes at their warehouse 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays and 1-3 p.m. Sundays at 5841 Thunderbird Road, Suite D.
You can donate clothes, kids’ books, furniture and toys to Thrifty Threads — free thrift stores for clients of the Julian Center, who are survivors of domestic violence. You can drop off donations 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 8424 Castleton Corner Drive or 1501 W. 86th St.
Pet supplies
You can donate dry food for cats and dogs and supplies such as collars, leashes and plastic dog homes to FIDO Indy. The organization has a pet food pantry and serves dog and cat owners who are dealing with financial hardships. To receive help, sign up to be a new client. You’re eligible if you are a Marion County resident and qualify as low-income or receive any sort of government assistance, such as SNAP or Medicaid.
Drop off new or clean, gently used supplies in the blue bins outside of Indy Humane, 7929 N. Michigan Road, anytime. Staff members sort through the bins and take donations every day.
The shelter also has online wishlists you can purchase items from and ship directly to Indy Humane. The donations will go to their Pet Resource Center. You can request help from the resource center by filling out an online form.
Breast milk
If you’re breastfeeding, you can donate your milk to other moms and to babies in the neonatal intensive care unit through the Milk Bank. First, you’ll fill out an application and Milk Bank staff will contact your healthcare provider. You’ll have to do a screening and get your blood drawn, which the Milk Bank will pay for. Then you can start donating milk, which the Milk Bank will pasteurize.
If you want to request donor milk, you can start the process here.
Books
Indy Reads accepts new and lightly used books 11 a.m.-7 p.m. the first Friday of each month at its store, 1066 Virginia Ave. If you go to donate, park along Shelby Street and ring the doorbell. A staff member will take your donations and give you back your bags or boxes.
If you have more than three boxes of books to drop off, email bookstore@indyreads.org to set up a separate appointment. When you buy books in their store, the money goes toward free English classes and job training programs.
The Indianapolis Public Library accepts used books and sells them at book sales to raise money for free community programs.
If you have two boxes or less, you can drop them off at your local library branch. If you have four boxes to donate, take them to the Library Services Center, 2450 N. Meridian St. For more, call the Indy Library Store at 317-275-4044 to organize a drop-off.
Medical supplies
FAME, a Christian organization, takes donated supplies along on mission trips to share with doctors in other countries. You can drop off wheelchairs, prosthetics, bandages and hospital beds at FAME’s office, 4545 Southeastern Ave. FAME is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Eyeglasses
If you drop off used eyeglasses to the opticians inside most Walmart stores, the glasses will go to the Lions Club. You can also drop off glasses at a Lions Club location near you.
If you need glasses, you can also reach out to the local Lions Clubs.
Bikes and bike parts
Freewheelin’ Community Bikes’ Green Apron program teaches kids how to ride and fix bikes, and then gives them a free bike. Those bikes come from donations. You can donate bikes, along with tools and bike parts, on donation days, which you can find on their online calendar.
The Freewheelin’ shop is located at 3355 Central Ave.
Professional clothes
Dress for Success Indianapolis gives women clothes for a job interview or a new job. You can bring donations to their building at 820 N. Meridian St. 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Go around back to the garage door and ring the door bell.
In Pursuit Of gives suits and professional clothing to men who are veterans, unhoused or formerly incarcerated. You can fill out a form to schedule a time for them to pick up your clothes.
Clothes and hygiene items
The Fletcher Place Community Center offers free clothes and hygiene items to people experiencing homelessness at its thrift store. You can check out their list of needs and take donations to the community center at 1637 Prospect St.
Furniture and household goods
You can donate furniture, household goods and even cars to St. Vincent De Paul. For smaller items, you can drop them off at blue bins around the city. You can also take items to the distribution center at 1201 Maryland St. or call 800-322-8284 to arrange a car pickup.
You can also donate furniture, lighting, kitchen appliances, tools and more to Habitat for Humanity, which will sell the items in its ReStore to fund its mission to build homes for low-income buyers. You can call 317-969-8791 to schedule a pick up or drop off items 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 4129 W. Washington St.
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Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.
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