These Tips for Organizing a Successful Senior Adult Donation Drive shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyCareGivingStory #CollectiveBias
Senior adults have always had a special place in our hearts. Before my husband accepted a job that took us away from a local nursing home, we would head over the third Sunday of each month and sing for the elderly persons who lived there. I have fond memories of their gratefulness. I haven’t had to care for an aging relative yet; my grandmother who needs the most assistance lives with her daughter. Yet my husband’s ministerial job exposes us regularly to the needs of this age group. From loneliness to transportation issues, the elderly face a plethora of needs. I often wish that I could do more, but with young children still in the home it is difficult (if not impossible) to get away to visit or spend time with the wonderful senior adult community. But there is one thing that even I can do: Donate Items.
Did you know that many elderly persons live on fixed incomes? Even those who are not in a nursing home have supply and food needs that are not always met by their income or by another family member. For those of you a part of a church or other organization that participates in local service projects, a Senior Adult Donation Drive can be a wonderful way to help those in your own community with those specific needs. Do you feel overwhelmed with how to start such a project? Read on for tips for organizing a successful senior adult donation drive.
Don’t go at it alone.
Unless you are already tied into an organization with a large shut-in elderly community, you will find it the most helpful to join forces with an already established association that provides services to the elderly. These organizations are typically non-profits that are sustained by individuals like yourself who have a passion for helping the elderly. Grab your computer and complete a quick Google search. Try typing in “Your City and Senior Services” to see what organizations are already established in your area. Contact them to see if there are any specific elder needs in your area. Some of these organizations have ongoing wish lists that they can share.
Plan the donation drive.
Give donors about two weeks to a month to bring donations. Have fliers that clearly list the date that the drive ends and where the donations will be going. Those who bring in items like to know where their donations are heading. Copy a wish list and have them on hand for donors to take while they are shopping. Another nice touch is to organize a delivery team. Perhaps you have a youth group who would like to deliver the items personally. This can be a great way to deepen the connection with the donation drive, and the organizations often enjoy meeting those who are donating.
Need a sample wish list? I’m including two below!
One has a place typed up for the date. The other is blank, and you can use your favorite editing software (or just a pen) to add any information. Right click on the image below to save it to your computer. You can then print it off using your computer software.
Create a central donation space.
A large box works great for this. Make a sign that clearly designates this box for donation items.
Need a sign? Right click on the image below to save it to your computer. You can then print it off using your computer software and attach it to your donation box.
Consider offering a shopper option.
This may sound odd, but I’m including it from experience. Each time that we have done any sort of donation drive in the past through my husband’s ministry, we always offer the option to accept monetary donations and shop for the donor. Some donors are elderly themselves or are people who do not feel as if they have time to shop for items, yet they want to help. You can collect the monetary donations and shop for these individuals. Of course, this option will be based on the exact circumstances surrounding your drive and may not work in all situations. But it has been a neat option for our donation drives in the past.
Buying in bulk is an excellent way to get the best bang for your buck when shopping for elder care items. Sam’s Club actually carries everything on the wish list above (and more!), making it a one-stop shop for caregiving needs. The Member’s Mark items are carefully designed to offer superior protection and comfort with attention to skin wellness while providing quality products at a great value. From adult washcloths to transfer benches, the Sam’s Club Family Caregiving program has everything that an elderly person may need. I picked up a box of Member’s Mark adult premium washcloths and Member’s Mark underpads recently while I was in Sam’s Club to add to a donation box.
I located both of these items easily in the personal care section of the club.
Are you a part of an organization that has held a Senior Adult Donation Drive? Leave your experience and other tips below!
This is a great idea and a wonderful way to minister to the elderly!
What a great idea! 🙂
What a wonderful thing to do and these tips make it easy to get started. This is something I’d love to start in my area.
Thank you so much for sharing these ideas. I often donate to different organizations, but I have never given much thought to donating to senior centers. My dad is actually in a rehab facility now, and this has made me think more about what I can do to help him. Even just bringing fresh food can be helpful! Every little bit we can do to help defintely makes a difference #client
I feel like more people don’t head up donation drives because it can seem so daunting. This list will be a vital guide making it so much easier to know how to go about it! Thank you so much for sharing it.
Your printable makes a donation drive much easier. They can be daunting without a clear plan of action and you help provide some great ideas. I’m sure that any drive done with your help would be a great success.
This is really such a wonderful idea. We have a local senior center that organizes things like this. It’s so important to give back.