Help Homless Neighbors in Montgomery County! (for individuals, groups, kids, and teens)

Save to Favorites

Interested in additional opportunities? Please fill out our volunteer intake form here

All options below can be dropped off Monday through Friday, 9am-12:30pm or 2-4pm at our Bethesda Cares Office: 7728 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda. (We can accept donations as early as 7:30am most weekdays with advance notice- please e-mail volunteer@bethesdacares.org if doing so!)

1) Make Welcome Home Cards

Help newly housed clients celebrate their moving day with a welcome home card! We greatly appreciate a $5-$10 gift card to Giant Foods or Target in each to assist them with purchasing needed household/ grocery items for their move-in. Or, consider including gift cards of any amount to McDonalds, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks for our street outreach team to buy a warm meal or drink for clients sleeping on the street. Please only include first names if signing the welcome home cards, and please do not seal envelopes with gift cards inside (we keep a record of each gift card donated and distributed). Below is a sample message:

Welcome Home! May your home know joy, Each room hold laughter, And every window be open to new opportunities. Congratulations!

2) Host A Collection Drive

We distribute many essentials to homeless individuals who come to our drop-in lobby. We greatly appreciate when individuals drop off a few of our most needed items, or when groups run collection drives for these items in their community. Click the link to view our current needs, sorted in need order- feel free to do a mass drive of 1-2 items, or a little of each!

View our full donation wishlist here:https://bit.ly/2SfJHmI

3) Grocery Item Drive

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BoajF1mNfGpu6DObh0HuCLLAWYJBH2wfeDJg-E7n1kA/edit?usp=sharing

Since these will go to homeless individuals, we prefer single-serve cans with pop-tops that don't require a can opener. I also included the number of each item that we have need for/ room to store in our storage space. It's also helpful to use Sharpie to write expiration dates (MM/YYYY) on the top and side of all cans, and on the smallest side of all boxes (e.g., pasta boxes).

4) Bring Breakfast Foods

Ideas include: muffins, baked breads (ex. banana bread), individual yogurts, fresh fruit (easy-to-chew like berries preferred), and juices. Up to 18 servings at a time will go to good use if brought any Monday-Thursday between 9-12:30 or 2-4!

5) Donate directly to help end homelessness in Montgomery County

Your donation goes directly toward preventing evictions, assisting homeless individuals with emergency needs, and moving people from the street into housing! You can designate your donation in honor of a person or group, or in memory of a loved one: https://bethesdacares.networkforgood.com/projects/29138-actually-ending-homelessness

6) Make Snack Packs to Help Clients Stay Full and Hydrated

Snack Packs are also distributed by our outreach social workers when they go out from 9pm-3am to engage homeless individuals who are sleeping on the street in Montgomery County. Please only put food items in the snack packs.

In a gallon-size, sliding seal ziploc bag:

-1 8oz. water bottle

-1 squeeze-pack fruit

-1 Little Bites muffin pack

-3-4 soft, easy to chew bars

-1 travel-friendly tuna packet or kit