COLLECTION GUIDELINES

[Groups, Teenagers, Scouts, etc]

ECHO is grateful that organizations and individuals frequently wish to collect items to support our mission to assist the needy in the Springfield/Burke area. Executing a donations drive requires time, skill and hard work.  ECHO wants all organizers to know that their efforts make a difference in the lives of local families who struggle to find a way out of misfortune.  Here are some guidelines, arranged by area, to assist you in your collections.  Once you have read these guidelines, and believe you want to collect for ECHO, contact our Executive Director at echoadmin@verizon.net to coordinate the details.

 

GENERAL PREPARATION

Click Here  for a list of current needs on our website. Ensure the store manager where you plan to collect  also concurs with your plan.  Collect delivery containers [doubled brown paper grocery bags, small copier paper sized boxes] beforehand—all containers delivered to ECHO must be under 40 pounds in weight.  Be sure your delivery plans are well coordinated, or you may end up storing your collections at home until ECHO is open to receive them.  A poster at your collection point will increase your collections.  If you plan to provide an entry handout to potential donors, make up several lists with different contents to ensure a variety of donations.  Having a “Thank You” handout for actual donors is a good practice.

 

FOOD

In addition to current needs, our website also has a list of items normally provided to our clients.  We accept and use all non-perishable food items, even those not on the list.  Please do not collect perishables without consulting with us first, as storage for perishables is extremely limited.

Sort by type of container: cans, boxes, bags, pouches, glass, plastic containers, etc.  Throw away if the container is open, leaking, soiled or rusty.  Check expiration dates only on baby food, baby formula, and adult or child medicines.  Place in doubled paper grocery bags or small (copier paper) sized boxes [nothing to exceed 40 pounds in weight].

 

LINENS

Must be new or “like new”:  No tears, dirty spots, frayed ends or worn spots.  If linens are used, launder them before delivery, and mark with the size.  We always need queen or king sized sheets, blankets and comforters.

 

HOUSEWARES

We need blenders, large pots, and microwaves.  Items must be new or “like new”;  clean and-- if electrical and not new--operationally checked to ensure they work.  Sort by type, place in doubled paper grocery bags or small (copier paper) sized boxes.

   

WINTER COATS, HATS, GLOVES

 All items must be in current style, clean, not torn or otherwise worn looking, zipper works, buttons and snaps intact, on hangers [coats], and sized.  Be picky!  These will be worn to school, jobs, and other public places.  Mostly, children’s and Extra Large adult sizes are needed.

 

OTHER  APPAREL   ITEMS

We always need underwear, athletic socks, and men’s work gloves.  These items MUST be new. 

 

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

 New or gently used backpacks, 3-ring binders, tabbed subject dividers, basic 4-function calculators, and dictionaries are collected year-round for our school supplies distribution program.  Gently used backpacks should be clean (most launder beautifully), have no advertisements, tears, frays, or holes, and all zippers must work easily. 

 

PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS

Our food list also contains personal hygiene items that are as essential as food to maintaining health.  They are also continuously in short supply, and any collections of these items would be greatly appreciated.  See the food list for a complete listing.

 

DELIVERY

Arrange to deliver during ECHO’s normal operating hours.  We suggest you double check your delivery plans a couple days out to ensure we will be open in that timeframe.

   

FOOD ITEMS NORMALLY PROVIDED TO ECHO CLIENTS

 The items listed below are normally provided to our clients when they receive food from ECHO, if available.  Items not on the list are also provided when available, so don’t be restricted by the list.  However, we do not provide perishable items, due to extremely limited storage space for perishables [the exceptions are frozen meats and breads, eggs and oleo—storage is limited for these items also].  Items within a category are listed in the order of “most often run out of “ to “usually get enough from ‘normal’ donations”.  

Cans	Boxes	Other
Coffee	Powdered Milk	Drink , Individual
Tuna	Pancake mix	Flour [2 pound]
Spaghetti sauce	Spaghetti	Sugar [1 or 2 pound]
Pasta	Cracker	Ramen
Evaporated milk	Tea	Beans, bag
Tomato sauce/paste	Stuffing	Rice, bag
Meat	Helper
Spam	Potato Dry	Personal Hygiene
Baked beans	Bread/muffin mix	Laundry Detergent
Tomato	Rice	Toothpaste
Beans	Jello/pudding	Deodorant
Vegetables	Mac & cheese	Pain medicine, adult
Fruit	Pasta	Pain medicine, child
Soup	Dessert	Cold/flu med, adult
	Cereal	Cold/flu med, child
		Toothbrush, adult
	Bottles	Toothbrush, child
	Cooking Oil	Toilet paper
	Pancake syrup	Kleenex
	Peanut butter	Paper towels
	Jelly	Hand soap
	Ketchup	Shampoo
	Mustard	Conditioner
	Mayonnaise	Razors
	Barbeque Sauce	Shaving Cream
	Salad dressing	Combs and Brushes
		Hand Lotion