6 Things Salvation Army Will Gladly Take Off Your Hands in Summer, an Employee Says

By Abby Monteil 

Published on July 10, 2026

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• During summer, the Salvation Army is looking for backpacks and school supplies ahead of the upcoming school year.
• The organization also accepts hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness.
• Donations of children’s winter wear are always accepted and needed.

Whether you’re moving or simply want to get rid of extra stuff taking up space in your house, summer is a great time to declutter.

Rather than throwing your unwanted items away, you can also donate to local stores aimed at serving the community, such as Salvation Army.

If you’re curious what the organization is always in need of during the warmer months, here’s what’s in high demand at Salvation Army over the summer, according to an employee. Do you have anything on the list?

• Dan Furry is a divisional marketing and communications director for Salvation Army.
• Mark Nelson is the commander of the Salvation Army’s western territory Adult Rehabilitation Centers Command.

Backpacks

Dan Furry, a divisional marketing and communications director for Salvation Army, notes that backpacks are always needed, especially as the school year approaches.

“All of our metro area service centers hold backpack giveaways, usually during August, so that always comes in handy,” Furry says. “These are needed for all grades, K to 12.”

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Summer Clothing

If you’re looking for a place to drop off summer clothing you no longer want, consider Salvation Army.

“Salvation Army thrift stores see strong demand for seasonal essentials, including lightweight clothing such as short-sleeved shirts, shorts, hats, dresses, swimsuits, and sandals,” says Mark Nelson, commander of Salvation Army’s western territory Adult Rehabilitation Centers Command.

School Supplies

Dropping off any spare school supplies around your house ahead of back-to-school season is always worth doing.

“That constitutes basic school supplies that we can put inside backpacks—notebooks, pencils, pens, rulers, markers, erasers, kid-safe scissors, et cetera,” Furry says.

Children’s Winter Wear

The weather is warm now, but Salvation Army is already thinking ahead to winter—specifically children’s winter wear for all ages through high school.

“As fall begins, we look for donations of various types of children’s warm wear, such as winter coats, gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, boots, and warm socks,” Furry says. “We generally hold coat distributions in mid-fall, around October.”

Hygiene Kits

Furry says that Salvation Army employees also appreciate receiving hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness.

“Generally, these are gallon-size Ziploc bags that are filled with toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap, combs, nail clippers, socks, and sometimes snacks, such as granola bars,” he explains.

Food Donations

Although you may associate Salvation Army with its thrift stores, the organization also has food shelves that are consistently in need of donations. These donations can be especially helpful in the summer, when many children don’t have access to their schools’ free breakfast and lunch programs.

“Our service centers will generally accept any kind of food that is fresh and/or unexpired, and non-perishable food is the most common donation as they are shelf stable,” Furry says. “That said, the food shelves and certainly take perishable foods such as produce, dairy, meat, and bread, but these must all be fresh and unexpired.”

Read More:

• Cleaning & Organizing
• Organizing
• Decluttering