PLEASE DO NOT pass out clothing or items to people outside the ARCH and DO NOT leave items on the sidewalk. Contributions to individuals outside our doors do not serve clients seeking solutions, and abandoned donations become litter that generates negative attention from the community. Please redirect handouts to local thrift stores who support nonprofit programming. By taking your intended donation to a store instead of leaving it on the sidewalk or handing it out to individuals on the sidewalk, you are making the right choice.

If you are handing out food to individuals outside the shelter or elsewhere in the city, please consider minimizing the packaging so as to reduce litter. Keep in mind that softer foods are often preferred, due to dental issues. PLEASE DO NOT leave food on the ground outside the shelter—that can pose a dangerous health threat to clients whose digestive systems are fragile.

We have provided Amazon links to the ideal products to donate, please understand that it is best for our clients, staff, and volunteers if the items we have to give to clients are the same/similar. It can be hard to give three clients in a row a costly pair of socks, and then offer the fourth man in line a pair of footies for women because that’s all that is left. Storage, staffing, and standardization are the reasons we try to manage the products we offer by providing specifications that work best. If you have other items to donate, please contact us to see if we have a need for it.

We get a lot of offers of collections of hotel toiletries. Thank you, but no. We have dispensers in the showers for these products.

We do not have storage space or staff to process donations of clothing. We have partners who host a Clothing Closet for our clients, and we get vouchers to give to our clients from many of the nonprofit thrift stores in the community.

Individuals experiencing homelessness carry EVERYTHING they own with them 24 hours a day. It is one of the biggest problems faced by clients, keeping things safe and minimizing the appearance of being “homeless.”

• Looking “homeless” with things in plastic bags, or backpacks that look like cast offs, can reduce a person’s access to restrooms.
• Looking “homeless” can reduce their odds when seeking work, housing, or safety.
• Looking “homeless” can create tension in many settings—from riding the bus to sitting in a coffee shop.
• Too often each week we see a client having to “give up” on a backpack. Stitches gave way, or glue unstuck, and the extra socks, or the wallet, or the small jar of instant coffee is gone.
• The duct tape that was holding a bag together gives way, and the shoes you use for work fell out when you were stashing it under a bench somewhere.

When you have so little, you value everything you decide to carry, and these losses can be profoundly discouraging. And we never have enough good backpacks to give to the men sleeping in the shelter and working with case managers to find housing. Or the thousands of men and women who come to us for day services (restrooms, showers, laundry, computer access, clinic care, etc.).

Backpacks–dark colors, strong/sturdy construction, and new.

• The perfect backpack is what you would buy for yourself or a family member.
• A backpack with decent straps so weight is distributed evenly.
• A backpack that is stitched well and won’t come apart in rain, or if it falls in a creek.
• A backpack big enough to hold what’s needed, but not so big that it cannot be stashed under the seat of a bus.
• New, sturdy, empty packs would be a blessing in the lives of individuals who have so very, very little.
• Some of our clients prefer a “gym bag” over a backpack.
• Some of the older men prefer a small, wheeled carry-on case—these help with staying balanced.

Donations of bags/backpacks can be brought to the front door of the shelter and handed off to staff. Please attach a note that these are a donation for clients. Include your name/address so we can thank you!

One of the easiest things to donate are bus passes. Clients need these to get to jobs, doctor’s visits, appointments at leasing offices, etc. If you would like to collect funds and purchase bus passes from CapMetro, these would be very welcome. They can be mailed to:

Front Steps, Development Office
Development Office
P.O. Box 684519
Austin, TX  78768

Gift cards are always a welcome donation. Stores like HEB and WalMart offer food, pharmacy, and basic moving-day supplies needed by clients. They can be mailed to:

Front Steps
Development Office
P.O. Box 684519
Austin, TX  78768