Collection Drives
You Can Make a Difference!
Every day, hundreds of hungry and hurting men, women, and children count on The Union Mission Ministries for help. It can be a challenge to provide all the things our guests need—and costs have risen on nearly everything we provide to them for free.
If you or your family, Sunday school class, Scouting troop, or corporate outreach group wants to make a difference that changes lives, consider a collection drive to provide some of our most needed items!
For flyers or more information, please contact our Volunteer Engagement Coordinator.
Home Totes
It’s expensive to set up a new home when you’ve been homeless. Provide a great housewarming gift to our shelter guests moving into permanent housing: a plastic tote loaded with useful household items. To fill a Home Tote costs about $100–$125, making this a great group project!
Transportation is essential for our shelter guests to get to their jobs, interviews, appointments, and children’s daycare providers. Every day we provide them with bus passes. You can purchase them for us at selected area Food Lions and 7-Elevens or directly through Hampton Roads Transit.
Bed Linens & Bath Towels
Host a drive to donate bath towels and washcloths, or extra-long twin sheet sets and pillowcases. All our towels and bed linens are bleached regularly, so white is often the best color choice. And many retailers, like Amazon, will ship them directly to us!
Fast Food Gift Cards
Many of our homeless shelter guests and program residents work off-site and odd hours. They can’t always catch a hearty meal in our dining halls. But a $10 gift card for a local chain restaurant, gas station, or convenience store gives them an affordable meal break that’s a real blessing!
It’s easy to sponsor a meal for our guests! You can simply cover the costs, personally cook and deliver your culinary creation, or cater a lunch or dinner. About 160 portions will cover both shelters, or choose just one shelter for a more manageable size. To schedule, contact our Volunteer Coordinator.
Snacks and Other Food Donations
We like to provide guests with snacks in the evening before bed and also accept items for our breakfast bar. Email volunteer@ummnorva.org for more info or to schedule your delivery!
Underwear
It’s one of our greatest year-round needs: new underwear for the men, women, and children staying with us. We also appreciate your donations of gently used, more visible clothing for the benefit of our shelter guests and our Thrift Store sales.
Luggage, New or Gently Used
Many of our guests arrive with their clothing in a garbage bag or crammed into a backpack. Providing them with a good-sized wheeled suitcase or a large dufflebag helps protect their belongings and restore their dignity. Luggage also facilitates an easier move into permanent housing.
Hope Haven has many year-round supply needs. Your donations can help make Camp Hope Haven, our Children’s Home, Recharge Respite Care, Switchback, and our other family-friendly outreaches a success!