COMMUNITY DRIVES
Looking to donate goods? Awesome! You’re in the right place.
An important role the United Way serves is facilitating connections and acting as a resource hub. Find a guide to donating goods directly to Douglas County Agencies HERE.
In addition, United Way of Kaw Valley helps facilitate a few collection drives each year.
- Back2School Supply Drive
- Holiday Gift Drive
HOST A DONATION DRIVE
A common group volunteer project found at United Ways across the country, a donation drive that is specially designed to address a common need among a vulnerable population. The key to making these drives effective is paying attention to what organizations and individuals in our community need and coordinating efforts to collect these items.
HYGIENE SUPPLIES DRIVE:
Essential items for individuals struggling with financial stability, these items include needed basics like toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, soap, a razor, and other simple necessities that recipients can use to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working to achieve a more stable footing.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to host a donation drive with the assistance of the United Way, fill out our group project form!
COLD WEATHER ITEMS DRIVE:
Every year as the cold months arrive there is great concern in our community about those individuals who lack resources to stay warm. We engage with others throughout our community to help these individuals, by always providing support to agencies like the Community Shelter and Salvation Army, but also by working with local government and organizations to help run other winter warmth initiatives. The cold weather items are a new aspect of these efforts and include a range of basic items that can help keep our most vulnerable neighbors safe from the harsh winter weather that Kansas is well known for. Gloves, hats, socks, etc. While these items are only in demand during the winter months they are needed in such great quantity that we stockpile them throughout the year to distribute once the temperature drops.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to host a donation drive with the assistance of the United Way, fill out our group project form!
BACKSNACK BRAIN FOOD BOOK DRIVE:
As part of the United Way's Education Efforts, our goal with this program is to foster a love of reading among our community's elementary-aged children and their families by providing children with a gift of a new or gently used book each week with the Harvester's BackSnack. Harvester's program provides a weekly backpack with healthy shelf-stable snacks to children most at risk of Thunder over the weekend. Books collected are gently used or new books, appropriate for grades K-5.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to host a donation drive with the assistance of the United Way, fill out our group project form!
BUILD A KIT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY
A common group volunteer project found at United Ways across the country, a kit is a concentrated bundle of resources that are specially designed to address a common need among a vulnerable population. The key to making these kits effective is paying attention to what individuals in our community need and finding a way to assemble them that is cost-effective and sustainable. You'll find a full list of our available kits here. You can sign up to assemble kits (average cost per kit is $5-$15) or request information on how best practice for running a donation drive for supplies to assemble kits.
Full-Service
For a sponsorship fee, United Way orders and ships all supplies to your facility coordinates a virtual presentation, and identifies the recipient(s).
Limited Service
United Way will provide helpful tools and shopping lists and then your organization is responsible for securing the products.
HYGIENE KITS:
Essential items for individuals struggling with financial stability, these kits contain needed basics like toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, soap, a razor, and other simple necessities that recipients can use to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working to achieve a more stable footing. These kits are a high-demand item, packaged in a handy drawstring sack. All of the contents are included based on feedback from recipients and agencies that work with these populations, and the items are sourced in a way that is intended to be as cost-effective and responsible as possible.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to raise funds, purchase supplies, and/or assemble hygiene kits, fill out our group project form!
LITERACY KITS:
For years we have provided these kits to help jumpstart young learners reading capabilities. The kits have varied in style and we are currently revamping them to make sure they align with our desired criteria for sustainability and effectiveness. The kits are annually distributed throughout Douglas County to schools and nonprofits that engage with young children. Some children grow up surrounded by books but others need a little help and we are hopeful that by taking home these kits with both reading materials, school supplies, and activities those children who are behind will have a chance to catch up and thrive just like their classmates.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to raise funds, purchase supplies, or assemble literacy kits, fill out our group project form!
COLD WEATHER KITS:
Every year as the cold months arrive there is great concern in our community about those individuals who lack access to permanent shelter. We engage with others throughout our community to help these individuals, by always providing support to agencies like the Community Shelter in Lawrence, but also by working with local government and organizations to help run other winter shelter initiatives. For those individuals who won't find permanent housing or steady shelter before the coldest days of winter, we also provide a range of resources. The cold weather kits are a new aspect of these efforts and include a range of basic items that can help keep our most vulnerable neighbors safe from the harsh winter weather that Kansas is well known for. Gloves, hats, socks, etc. While these kits are only in demand during the winter months they are needed in such great quantity that we stockpile them throughout the year to distribute once the temperature drops.
If you're interested in arranging for your group to raise funds, purchase supplies, or assemble cold weather kits, fill out our group project form!