Donation Support

WHAT TO KEEP?

• Seasonally appropriate and gently used clothing (predominantly women’s styles but we also accept small amounts of men’s basic clothing). 

• Footwear 

• Gloves, hats, & scarves 

• Coats/jackets

• New underwear, socks, hosiery, gently used bras

• Jewelry/belts

• Reading glasses/sunglasses

• Children’s clothing

• Pet supplies

• Sleeping bags

• Tents/tarps

• Flashlights

• Hand warmers 

• Backpacks/purses

• Rolling Suitcases/rolling Carts

• Children’s Strollers

• Blankets/bedding (pillowcases, fitted sheet, flat sheet)

• Home goods (small amounts)

• Water bottles/working electronics

• Menstrual hygiene products

• Depends and incontinence pads

• Hygiene products/body wipes

• First aid products (no over the counter medication)

• Diapers/baby wipes

• Toilet paper/paper towels

WHAT IS CONSIDERED GENTLY USED?

• Clean and not musty-smelling; no rips, stains, holes, or pet hair

• Items that have minimal damage (like a small oil stain or snag on a sweater) can be added to the free bin.

• Clothing that is in decent shape but out of season, or something that we already have an overstock of (consult with staff!) can go in a free bin; Plus size items that fall within this description should always go into overstock.

• Items you're not quite certain about can go in the misc. bin on the loading dock!

Acceptable new and gently used clothing will go in one of two places:

• Stage clothing on the loading dock clothing racks to go into the shop.

• Sort items into a labeled bin on the loading dock.

  • When full, these bins go to the basement to be emptied. 

  • If basement bins are full, put the items with the other overstock bins.

FOOTWEAR

Shoes should be in good condition, not severely peeling, scuffed, dirty inside, etc.

Write the shoe size on a dot sticker/piece of masking tape and place it on the front right shoe. If it has laces tie them together, otherwise use a rubber band to keep pairs together for storage purposes. Once sized, place the shoes into their corresponding labeled shoe bin on the loading dock. Shoes going directly into the shop do not need rubber bands

LINENS AND HOUSEWARE ITEMS

Like clothing, linens and other houseware items should be in good condition; i.e., free of rips, large stains, and pet hair, clean and not musty-smelling

Sheets should be folded and secured with masking tape. On the tape write the size and type of the sheet. For example, "Queen fitted sheet"

Try to group sets of items together. For instance, a set of dishes, a set of towels, or a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth. Fold and label these items as you would sheets

DESIGNER ITEMS 

If you come across designer items while sorting (Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, Coach, etc. ), we may be able to consign them. Place these items in the bin labeled "Consign" located on the loading dock. 

Not all items are worthy to be consigned, if you could find it at Ross or T.J. Maxx, it’s not consignable (a pair of Nike shoes or a Michael Kors coat should NOT be consigned, they should go to a guest). If you are not sure about something, set it aside to go over it with staff. 

FREE BIN

• Clothing with minimal damage like small stains or slight holes

• Out of season or out of fashion clothes (think 80s shoulder pads)

• Once the loading dock free bin is full, use it to replenish the free bins located in hospitality 

• If the hospitality free bins are full, bag up the clothing in a black trash bag and label it Free Bin w/ tape. We will use these bags to replenish the bins during service hours.

WHAT IS GARBAGE?

If the quality is so poor that you wouldn't wear it OR you can't imagine seeing it on the rack of a thrift shop, then it isn't good enough for our guests either.

• Used socks, underwear, and hosiery

• Pillows and plush toys

• Opened hygiene and make-up products

• Blankets, bedding, and sleeping bags with holes, rips, stains, broken zippers, pet hair, or musty smelling 

• Clothing that is severely worn, stained, ripped, covered in pet hair, has holes, is missing buttons or is pilling; shoes with severe wear and tear 

Garbage goes in the red bin labeled "Garbage." Make sure you line the bin with a black garbage bag before putting items in. Once full, put it in the loading dock dumpster.

ARC: PASS IT ON

Items left over from the day's free bins in hospitality, and anything referencing drugs, alcohol, or violence will be passed onto ARC

• These items can be placed in the green garbage can labeled "ARC" on the loading dock. It should always be lined with a black trash bag. and labeled ARC with tape and sharpie

  • ARC accepts clothes, shoes, and clothing accessories (like belts) ONLY! No houseware or other non-clothing items

  • Do not overstuff the bin!

Wanted Items

• Gently used clothing (men’s, women’s, children’s)

• Out of season shoes 

• Additional items on a case-by-case basis, consult a Rose Haven staff member!

Unwanted Items

• Furniture/baby furniture/shelving

• Hangers

• Pillows

• Food/liquids

• VHS tapes/cassette tapes

• Car seats

• Heavy exercise equipment

• Mattresses/box springs

• Large appliances

• Gas-powered items such as lawn mowers

If you aren’t sure whether ARC would accept an item, consult a staff member.

RESTOCKING THE SHOP

If time permits, the shop volunteers will highlight needed items from the shop restocking checklist, and staff will add the needed items on the whiteboard. If you don’t see a list of needed items, take a look around the shop and see if anything seems low in inventory. For example, do we have enough short sleeve large shirts on the rack? How about size 4 pants? Scarves? Etc.    

Where do I find items to restock the shop?

You can pull items from the basement and sorted clothes on the loading dock. 

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN RESTOCKING

• Make sure racks are not too full, so guests can easily browse.

• Try to have a fair representation of all sizes of tops and bottoms; we want to make sure guests of all body types have equal choices.

• When hanging clothes, make sure they are all facing the same direction.

• Double check clothing for rips, stains, holes, pilling, pet hair, and broken zippers, as sometimes these things can be missed in the sorting phase.

• Ensure there are rubber ends on the top hangers. If broken, replace them.

• Sheets must be rolled and secured with tape. On the tape write the size and type of sheet (i.e., "Queen fitted sheet" or "Twin sheet set.")

• Watch out for kids' clothes being hung with adult clothes incorrectly. Kids' clothes, socks, and underwear do not go in the shop. 

• When restocking shoes, remove any rubber bands so that we can reuse them in the loading dock. Make sure there is a piece of tape with the shoe size on the front right shoe.