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Our Wish List 

Thank you for considering an in-kind donation to The Night Ministry. We are grateful for your support.

Please explore the information below to ensure that we can put your contribution to the best use. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t give something to a friend, you may wish to reconsider donating it.

Please be aware that we do not accept unscheduled donations or donations left outside our buildings or given to our staff at outreach stops.

If there are any questions about a potential donation or you find our guidelines unclear, please contact Maya at maya@thenightministry.org

Many of the items we request below are available on our Amazon Wish List. You are not required to purchase items through Amazon, but please feel free to do so.

Purchase Items from our Wish List

Meals and Food Items

Your donation of the following items will help us continue to provide food to the individuals and families served by The Night Ministry.

Meals

We welcome you to provide hot meals or sack suppers for members of the community we support through our Health Outreach Program and Youth Programs. In most cases, we invite you to also serve the meals you are donating alongside us!

Please visit this link to see when we need meals. Then contact us at jennifer@thenightministry.org or 773-506-7719 with any questions and to make arrangements to provide meals.

Individual Food and Beverage Items

We distribute prepackaged individually packaged food and beverage items such as nut mixes, fruit and granola bars, and bottles of water to those whom we serve throughout our programs. Please consider donating the following:

  • Chips and other prepackaged snack items
  • Soft and chewy granola bars
  • Unsweetened apple sauce in individual packets
  • Bottled water
  • Soft fruits with a shelf life such as bananas, oranages, and tangerines
  • Fruit cups
  • Fruit juices

Contact us at jennifer@thenightministry.org or 773-506-7719 to make donation and drop-off arrangements or for any questions.

Clothing

Clothing items go a long way in bringing comfort to our clients.

We are currently accepting the following items:

  • New men’s thermal long undwear sets (sizes M-XXL)
  • New winter beanie hats (dark colors preferred)
  • New stretchy gloves (dark colors preferred)
  • New winter coats (sizes M-XL, dark colors preferred)
  • New men’s t-shirts (sizes M-2XL; short and long sleeve)
  • New men’s sweatpants (sizes M-2XL)
  • New adult-size sweatshirts/hoodies (sizes M to 2XL; dark colors preferred)
  • New gym shoes (not slides) and boots (men’s sizes 10 to 14; women’s sizes 7 to 9)
  • We have created an Amazon Wish List to make purchasing some of these items for donation convenient. You are not, however, required to purchase them through Amazon.

We cannot accept the following items at any time:

Used or opened packages of underwear, bras, or socks
Professional clothing, including dress shirts, suits, dresses, blouses, sweaters
Trend-forward clothing, like off-the-shoulder tops, crop tops, jerseys, etc.
Dress shoes, heels, slip-ons, sandals, or slippers
Workout clothing, tights, or swimsuits
Accessories like belts, jewelry, purses, or fashion hats (only basic baseball caps or winter hats)

Next Steps
Please contact Maya at maya@thenightministry.org to make donation arrangements. We kindly ask that donation drop-offs be scheduled in advance so we can ensure staff are available to greet you.

If ordering from Amazon, please send to the following address:

The Night Ministry
1735 North Ashland Avenue
Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60622
773-784-9000

Please note that we do not receive any information from Amazon when an in-kind donation is made via our Amazon Wishlist. If you would like to receive an acknowledgement of your donation, please contact Maya Crowl-Kinney at maya@thenightministry.org to inform us of your order.

Survival Supplies

The following are crucial supplies for unsheltered individuals.

  • New or gently used tents (the more compact, the better)
  • New or gently used sleeping bags (the more compact, the better)
  • New or gently used backpacks
  • New or gently used blankets

We have created an Amazon Wish List to make purchasing tents, sleeping bags, and blankets convenient. You are not, however, required to purchase them through Amazon.

Next Steps

Please contact Maya Crowl-Kinney, Resource Coordinator, at maya@thenightministry.org to make donation arrangements. We kindly ask that donation drop-offs be scheduled in advance so we can ensure staff are available to greet you.

If ordering from Amazon, please send to the following address:

The Night Ministry
1735 North Ashland Avenue
Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60622
773-784-9000

Please note that we do not receive any information from Amazon when an in-kind donation is made via our Amazon Wishlist. If you would like to receive an acknowledgement of your donation, please contact Maya at maya@thenightministry.org to inform us of your order.

Hygiene/Personal Care Products

We distribute hygiene and personal care products throughout our programs to shelter residents and outreach clients. We ask that all products be unused and unexpired. Please be thoughtful when selecting toiletries to donate; if you wouldn’t use the product yourself, you may want to reconsider donating it.

We accept the following items in full or travel size:

  • Disposable no-rinse body wipes (bath wipes, not sanitizing wipes)
  • Toothbrushes
  • Body lotion
  • Hair products for curly or textured hair
  • Body wash/bar soap
  • Conditioner
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Mouthwash
  • Lip balm

We cannot accept the following items:

  • Menstrual products of any kind (we have a surplus and don’t distribute very many)
  • Makeup or perfumes
  • Hair products like gel, hairspray, or hair dye

Next Steps

Please contact Maya at maya@thenightministry.org to make donation arrangements. We kindly ask that donation drop-offs be scheduled in advance so we can ensure staff are available to greet you.

Gift Cards and Ventra Passes

Gift cards provide our clients with the means to purchase clothing, groceries, or a meal while Ventra passes allow them to get to school, work, and job interviews. Any denomination is appreciated, but all gift cards must be physical cards.

  • Grocery/General Household
    Aldi, Amazon, Jewel-Osco, Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree*
  • Pharmacy/Convenience Store
    CVS, Walgreens
  • Fast Food
    McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts,* Subway,* Starbucks,* Wendy’s
  • Ventra Passes
    One-day passes for transit on the CTA and Pace
  • Miscellaneous
    • Visa/Mastercard gift cards
    • Gas station gift cards

*Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Subway, and Dollar Tree gift cards may be purchased online and sent to The Night Ministry. If ordering Dunkin Donuts, please select “Send a physical card.”

Next Steps

Please contact Maya at maya@thenightministry.org to make donation arrangements. We kindly ask that donation drop-offs be scheduled in advance so we can ensure staff are available to greet you.