Resources
Cradle to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school and at play.
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Share our Spare accept news and gently used items for children age 0-5.
Kids
Winter
Coats
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One Warm Coat provide anyone in need with a warm coat, free of charge.
Bra
Donation
(gently used)
Free the Girls is an organization that works with services all around the world that rescue women and girls from sex trafficking, who can then start their own businesses selling donated bras. There are five drop-off locations in Chicago proper and four in the ‘burbs.
Bra
Recycling
Be green and recycle your used bra with Bra Recyclers. A mere 15% of textiles in the country get recycled the rest ends up in landfills. You can drop off at any Soma retailer or check out their website to find a drop off location.
Stuffed
Animals
Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (SAFE) is a non-for-profit that collects stuffed animals for children in crisis. While there are no drop off locations in the Chicago area they will send you a list of organizations where you can mail your donation and help a child in need.
Arts &
Crafts
Upcycling colors collects leftover/used art, craft and school supplies. They recondition items for schools in need. There are 4 convenient drop off locations in Chicago.
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WasteShed provides Chicago with an organized, affordable, and reliable resource for repurposed art, craft, and school materials,
Books
Books First collect books for Chicago Public Schools with 15% or more homeless kids and no libraries/library equivalents.
Little Free Library the worlds largest book sharing movement!
Recycling
What can and can’t be put into your blue bin, what goes in the garbage bin and what can be picked up with a call to
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Plastic Bag & Wrap
Recycling
Think of all that single use plastic that comes into our homes like the plastic bread bag, the plastic shipping bag from Amazon, the plastic wrapped around the juice boxes you purchased. Did you know you can recycle all that plastic pretty easily! Drop off bins at both Target and Trader Joe's accept this kind of clean and dry plastic for recycling.
Electronic
Recycling
FreeGeek Chicago responsibly recycles and refurbishes computers and computer-related hardware in any condition.
Best Buy will recycle virtually all your electronics, most for free.