Donate Items

Food Drives

The need for donations of food is high due to the recent rollback of SNAP benefits. If your congregation, organization, or business would like to set up a food drive see how to get started here: Host a Food Drive.

To arrange for ALIVE! to pick-up donations larger than 300 pounds, complete the Contact Us online form or call 703-837-9300.

Encourage your supporters to make a financial donation to your food drive. We suggest donating the amount of money you would have spent on donating food. Give your food drive a unique name so your supporters can reference your food drive name in the comments section of online donations or memo line of check donations. Ex): Smith Family Food Drive

Donate Items to the Food Program

Donations must be from the current list of Accepted Food Donations & Most Needed Food Items. Personal size, non-bulk portions. No glass containers. No expired food. Donation receipts are available upon request. 

ALIVE! collects food donations at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 South Payne St).
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 9 am – 4 pm
Thursdays: 9 am – 7 pm
Saturdays: 9 am – 12 pm

ACCEPTED FOOD DONATIONS
FRUITS & VEGETABLES GRAINS
Canned fruits & vegetables Brown or wild rice, couscous, quinoa
Fruit or vegetable juice Oatmeal & Cereal
Applesauce Granola bars
Fruit cups Whole wheat or multi-grain crackers
Jelly & Jam
PROTEINS OTHER
Canned or dried beans & peas Liquid shelf-stable milk
Canned beef stew, chili, bean soup Canola, olive, vegetable oil
Peanut butter Pasta sauce
MOST NEEDED
Canned fruits, vegetables, soup, beans Kid-friendly single-serve, microwavable entrees (soup, ravioli, mac & cheese)
Canned meat and fish (chili, chicken, tuna, salmon, beef ravioli) Pasta (spaghetti, other noodles, mac & cheese)
Cereal (including oatmeal) Peanut butter and jam/jelly
Complete pancake mix (just add water) & syrup Rice
Cooking oil (vegetable, canola) Spaghetti, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes (sauce, diced, etc.)
Dried beans, lentils

 

Donate Items to the Housewares Program

Think about what you needed setting up your first apartment. Those are the same things our recipients need! Contact the ALIVE! Housewares Program at housewares@alive-inc.org with the items you wish to donate and to schedule a drop-off time at Fairlington United Methodist Church (3900 King St). Items must be in good condition. Donations must be from the current list of Accepted Housewares Donations.

Housewares donations to ALIVE! may also be dropped off at the front desk at Elancé at Old Town (400 N. Washington St) daily from 10 am – 3 pm. This site is selectively accepting items from the current list of Accepted Housewares Donations. Appliances are not accepted at this site. Elancé at Old Town staff decide on-site whether a donation can be accepted.

Alexandria residents may recycle small kitchen appliances that are not appropriate for ALIVE! at Alexandria Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Collection (3224 Colvin St) on Mondays and Saturdays from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.

ACCEPTED HOUSEWARES DONATIONS
MOST NEEDED
Medium-size pots and saucepans (2 to 4 quarts) Basic cooking utensils – spoons, spatulas, graters, peelers, whisks, measuring cups
Flatware (forks, knives, spoons) Can Openers (manual)
GENERALLY NEEDED
Bedding (Sheets, Blankets, Comforters) Towels and washcloths
Bed Pillows Bath mats
Dish towels and cleaning cloths Shower curtain liners (new or like new liners) with hooks
Brooms Trash cans (kitchen-size)
Blenders Dish sets – plates and bowls
Coffee makers Medium-size skillets
Crock pots Drinking glasses
Lamps Colanders
Microwaves Cutting boards
Mixers Food storage containers
Toasters Kitchen knives
Vacuum cleaners Mixing bowls
NOT ACCEPTED
Damaged, stained, or torn items Outdoor grilling tools
Cupcake tins, bundt cake pans, cookie cutters Specialty/novelty utensils, appliances, or other items
Curtains and curtain rods Stemware – wine, champagne, martini, margarita glasses
Decorative pillows Water bottles or travel mugs
Holiday items

 

Donate Items to the Furniture Program

Furniture donations are picked up from your doorstep by ALIVE! volunteers on Saturdays from 8 am – 1 pm. Use this form to contact the ALIVE! Furniture Program with the items you wish to donate. You also may send photos of your items to furniture@alive-inc.org.

The ALIVE! Furniture Program is completely managed by volunteers who strive to provide a prompt response, but it may be several days before you are contacted. Therefore, pick-up on a particular day cannot be assumed in advance. 

Items must be clean and in good condition. We expect scratches and other normal wear, but we cannot accept items that are stained, need repair, or in poor condition. Volunteers are asked to use their discretion and may opt not to take a donation on-site. Donations must be from the current list of Accepted Furniture Donations.

ACCEPTED FURNITURE DONATIONS
MOST NEEDED
Mattresses Sofas
Beds Dressers and chests of drawers
Tables Lamps
Chairs
NOT ACCEPTED
King beds Sleeper sofas
Trundle beds Appliances
Armoires Patio furniture
Hutches Office furniture
Entertainment centers Rugs

 

Volunteer with us! Our furniture program depends on volunteers to pick up and deliver donated items to families in need. Volunteers are needed on many Saturdays from 8 am – 1 pm. Sign up to volunteer today!

If you must be rid of something by a particular day, we recommend that you not limit yourself to contacting ALIVE!, and we will understand if your items find another home before we can accept it.

ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY PICK-UP APPLIANCES AND FURNITURE
Community of Creative Nonviolence 202-602-0040 info@theCCNV.org 425 Mitch Snyder Place NW, Washington, DC 20001
Committee for Helping Others 202-681-5279 | 703-281-7614 cho@cho-va.com 133 Park St NE, Vienna, VA 22180
Lutheran Social Services 202-723-3000 development@issnca.org  3975 Fair Ridge Dr, Suite 100, North Fairfax, VA 22033
Falls Church Community Service Council Inc. 703-237-2562 fcswecare@aol.com 7416 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042
SHARE of McLean 703-237-2562 www.shareofmclean.org/furniture 1367 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22101
Annandale Community Action Center 703-256-0100703-256-9513 furniture@accacares.org | info@accacares.org 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003
Lorton Community Action Center 703-339-5161 Diana@lortonaction.org 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA 22079
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia 703-360-6700 donations@habitatnova.org 869 South Pickett St, Alexandria, VA 22304
Catholic Charities 703-549-1390 | 703-841-3830 www.Catholiccharitiesusa.org 2050 Ballenger Ave, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314
Salvation Army 703-642-9270 Lawrence.goode@uss.salvationarmy.org 6528 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA 22312
Goodwill of Greater Washington 703-647-8402 www.dcgoodwill.org 6220 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22302
Vietnam Veterans of America 800-775-8387 | 877-901-5384 info@scheduleapickup.com 123 Bowie Rd, Laurel, MD 20707