Donations of Material Items, Food, Vehicles and Medicine

Current COVID-19 Procedures Here

St. Vinny’s Thrift Stores

At St. Vinny’s Thrift Stores, we are currently operating a no-contact drop off. We will ask donors to remain in their vehicles and we will unload donations for you from your trunk or backseat. We also ask that everything be contained for ease of unloading and storage. PLEASE do not drop off prior to the opening of the drive-throughs.

• Donation Hours:
  Check your favorite store page for hours! There are also drop boxes that can handle a limited amount of donations at a handful of parishes around the Madison area. Check out drop box locations here.
• Click here for our current At Home/ No-contact Pickup option

Thrift stores see donation influx, includes trash (Watch 2 min. video here.)

Please check what you are donating before you drop off. Beat-up items or “trash” are difficult to resell and costs money to dispose of, which hurts our organization and makes it difficult to support our programs (food pantry, free pharmacy and housing). Thanks for your consideration and check out the NBC 15 video above that featured our Processing Manager, John Cobb.

We know that while safer at home, many of our supporters have been reducing what they no longer need around the house and are anxious to promote reuse & recycling through our stores. We look forward to “upcycling” donations of gently used goods now into sales later that will support our mission of helping our Dane County neighbors in need.

What You Can Donate:

• Clothing, furniture and household items that are in clean, working condition and are suitable for resale in our stores
• Nonperishable food for our food pantry

Sorry, but no:

• ​Non-working or broken items​
• Items that are too large or heavy to safely handle
• Items that our trained staff determine have low or no resale value, high disposal costs or that could potentially harm our staff, customers or the environment
• Mattresses & box springs
• ​Computers & computer equipment​ (SVdP discontinued its ecycle program in April 2017)
• Televisions
• Sofa sleepers​ &​ reclining sofas
• ​Entertainment centers
• ​F​utons
• Baby furniture items such as​ car seats, cribs & ​strollers/​walkers
• Large appliances
• ​E​xercise equipment
• Hazardous materials
• Construction materials

Get ready to donate:

Click for our handy packing guide!

• • Please make sure that all small, loose items are packed either in boxes with the flaps closed or in bags that are tied shut (for soft goods only).
  • In most cases, furniture should remain fully assembled. If you think an item would need to be taken apart to be moved, please ask the receptionist when you schedule your pick-up.

Need a receipt?

Click here to print a goods donation receipt to complete for your records or taxes.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

In 2018, the tax laws changed, but the good feeling of helping someone else and having a cleaned out, organized closet, garage or kitchen never changes! Visit the IRS website to help you understand goods donations and deductibility.

** We know that while safer at home, many of our supporters have been reducing what they no longer need around the house and are anxious to promote reuse & recycling through our stores. We look forward to “upcycling” donations of gently used goods now into sales later that will support our mission of helping our Dane County neighbors in need.

Food + Personal Care Items

The pantry continues to serve families in need of healthy food and personal essentials. It’s hard to succeed in school or work while worrying about having enough to eat or paying the bills.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, monetary donations and personal care items are preferred. Due to our purhcasing power with vendors, we can use monetary donations to purchase food at the best prices. But we still need personal care items: toilet paper, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant. Personal care items should be full-size rather than travel-size, and be full, unused products.

Click below to support our work and our hungry Dane County neighbors in need during this time.

• *Preferred* Donate monetary funds here
• Donate personal items and essentials
  • You can drop off your donation at 2033 Fish Hatchery Road Service Center
  • Please pull all the way around the back of our building (marked by the X on picture) and volunteers will help you unload
  • Drop off hours are Monday and Friday from 8:00am to 3:30pm.
  • For any questions, please call 608-257-0919 ext. 38

Vehicles

If your car, truck, van or SUV is nearing its last lap, consider donating it to help serve local people in need. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a national program to accept donated vehicles. It’s easy and convenient, and the program includes towing service. Non-working vehicles are accepted. Proceeds from local donations are used to support the charitable work of St. Vincent de Paul here in Dane County. Your vehicle donation may be tax-deductible! Please call (800) 322-8284 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or click here for an online form to make arrangements to donate your vehicle.

Medicine

Our pharmacy receives medicine at no or very low cost by participating in commercial or public regulated programs and donations of medication from healthcare institutions and providers, pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers to assure the medicines are unexpired, properly labeled and stored, and untampered with.

We can accept:

• Unopened personal care products, such as shampoo and lotion.
• Unexpired, unopened (must be sealed with foil or in blister packs), prescription medicines. As a Wisconsin Drug Repository site, a form must be completed by the donor to complete the donation.
• Unopened, unexpired over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins and supplements, that have unbroken safety seals.
• Sealed bandages and wound care products.

Sorry, we cannot accept:

• Opened personal care products, such as shampoo and lotion. Households could share these items with friends and family. Otherwise, dispose of them.
• Opened, unexpired prescription medications from households.
• Expired (outdated) medications. These are considered waste and should be disposed of according to these rules. In Dane County, visit a MedDrop site.
• Controlled substances (opioids, narcotics, pain killers). Federal Drug Enforcement Administration rules only allow certain people to possess prescribed controlled substance medications, and do not allow donation. Our pharmacy does not carry these medications at all. In Dane County, visit a MedDrop site.

Medical supplies
Many places in Dane County will gladly take durable medical equipment, such as crutches, commodes, wheelchairs, walkers and other goods. Check here for donation options.

Questions on donating medication? Please contact our pharmacy (608-257-0919) during open hours or leave a message outside of pharmacy open hours. Thank you for supporting your neighbors in need!