CVSing
Posted by cassie on Saturday, 12 April, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
I’ve recently been reading a lot of blogs and comments about CVS and how some people find it wasteful, time consuming, greedy, etc and then the flip side of the coin is you get stuff for free you would probably normally buy and it really helps out people that need it. I’m still on the fence on this and can see both sides of the story.
Some of the posts have made me start thinking of what I could do with the Extracare bucks besides load my own linen closet with more shampoo, soap, deodorant and razors than one person can use in a lifetime. There were a load of wonderful suggestions on several blogs and I’m going to paraphrase some of their ideas below and toss in a few ideas that I’ve had.
- Donate to our troops and their loved ones left behind.
- Missionaries could use supplies for themselves and the ones they are trying to help. One reader noted that it is especially hard to get non-African hair related products in Africa.
- Donating toiletry items to students, especially college students. We all know they are normally on a strict budget.
- Women’s shelters for battered victims
- Local school programs that are helping mothers. For instance, in Sarasota, FL we have a school called Cyesis that is for teen mothers or teens that are currently pregnant to help them finish high school.
- Low-income parents and grandparents could always use wipes, diapers, lotion, etc.
- A lot of the elderly are also on fixed incomes. Check with local nonprofit groups to see how to get in touch with them
- Do the shoebox adoption at Christmas time that is normally run by the local papers. This would be a great way to spread the wealth for not much money. You can select which age range and gender would receive the box and gear your “loot” towards that, Some ideas: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick, gum, candy, lotions, etc.
Here is contact information for businesses nationwide that accept donations of health and beauty items, courtesy of www.mycoupons.com:
USA Charities, Inc.
1624 S. Babcock Street
Melbourne, FL 32901
(321) 728-5518
USA Charities
Not For Profit Charity, Florida Registration No: CH15206.
Collecting toys and beauty items for distribution in Women and Children Shelters.
Focusing Families
A Non-Profit Organization
P.O. Box 1053 Hempstead, TX. 77445
Office (979)826-3290 Fax (979)826-0332
Crisis (979)826-0000 or (877) BE SAFE-9
The Women’s Refuge
P.O. Box 3298
Berkeley, CA 94703
http://www.thewomensrefuge.org (this URL is no longer active)
Pat’s Army of One
Shelters for Lake & Porter County, Indiana:
battered women / homeless families / etc.
http://www.pats-army-of-one.com
boogamma@aol.com
219-942-0892
Katy Christian Ministries
Domestic Abuse Center
5502 First Street
Katy, Texas
Phone: 281-391-4504
kcm-abayliss@txucom.net
Special Needs: All beauty and skincare products
SANE SOLUTIONS
Director: Heidi Hart
408 Allumbaugh St.
Boise, Idaho 83702
Battered Women’s Resources, Inc.
PO Box 1209
Leominster, MA 01453
978-537-2306
ecronin@bicnet.net
The Partnership For the Homeless: Furnish A Future
20 Jay Street, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-875-5353
Email: TPFTH@Partnershipforhomeless.org
Special Needs: All beauty products a variety of colors
YWCA Women’s Resource Center
1118 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
206-461-3214
www.YWCAworks.org
Special Needs: Hygiene products, haircare and makeup basics
Brockton Family and Community Resources
Administrative Building
180 Belmont St
Brockton, MA 02301
508-583-5200
BFCR18@aol.com
Genesis Benefit Thrift Store
2918 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219
214-520-6644
Email: Ledgar@swbell.net
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center
99 Bishop Allen Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-492-8306
carcate@barcc.org
The Lifelong AIDS Alliance
c/o Dresden Jones, The Women’s Program
1002 E. Seneca
Seattle, WA 98122
206-957-1704
dresdenj@llaa.org