Donate Food, Furniture, Houseware, Reusable Bags and More!
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.
ALIVE! collects food donations at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 South Payne St).
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays: 9 am – 4 pm
Saturdays: 9 am – 12 pm
Featured Food Drive: Season of Giving
Are you planning a food drive or would like to drop off a food donation? Consider donating items and help ALIVE! distribute meals around the holidays.
Items in highest demand include (Please avoid donations in glass containers):
Canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter)
Soups and stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups)
100% fruit juices (all sizes)
Grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni and cheese)
Cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal)
Canned vegetables
Canned fruits
Hygiene products (diapers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, toothpaste)
All donations can be dropped off at the ALIVE! Warehouse (801 South Payne Street):
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays: 9am – 4pm
Saturdays: 9am – 12pm
Or you can purchase items through our online store.
Organize A Food Drive
The need for donations of food is high due to the rollback of SNAP benefits. If your congregation, organization, or business would like to set up a food drive see how to get started here: Click Here and Let Us Know that You’d Like to Host a Food Drive. Please encourage supporters to donate reusable bags when they bring in food donations.
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
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).
Monday through Friday: 9 am – 4 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.
If you have a small donation, 1-2 boxes, you may also take it to Elancé at Old Town (400 N. Washington St) daily from 10 am – 3 pm. We have to move all donations from this site to Fairlington United Methodist Church, so please take any larger donations to Fairlington. The ALIVE! Housewares Program also accepts laundry detergent, and dish soap.
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. Covanta on Eisenhower also accepts metal items that need to be discarded.
| ACCEPTED HOUSEWARES DONATIONS | |
| Bedding (Sheets, Blankets, Comforters) | Every day dishes – plates and bowls (No fine china) |
| Bed Pillows | Stainless steel flatware – forks, knives, spoons (no silver) |
| Towels and washcloths | Drinking glasses (no stemware) |
| Bath mats | Basic cooking utensils – spoons, spatulas, graters, peelers, whisks, measuring cups, can openers |
| Shower curtain liners (new or like new liners) with hooks | Can Openers (manual) |
| Brooms | Medium-size pots, pans and skillets |
| Blenders | Colanders |
| Coffee makers | Cutting boards |
| Crock pots | Food storage containers |
| Lamps | Kitchen knives |
| Microwaves | Mixing bowls |
| Mixers | Dish towels and cleaning cloths |
| Toasters | Pot holders |
| Vacuum cleaners | Trash cans (kitchen-size) |
| 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 | No King Sized Sheets |
Donate Items to the Furniture Program
Furniture donations are picked up from your doorstep by ALIVE! volunteers on Saturdays from 8 am -1 pm or Sundays from 12pm – 5 pm. Use this form to contact the ALIVE! Furniture Program with the items you wish to donate.
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 | |
| 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 and some Sundays from 12pm – 5 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 |
