Donate Goods

We're so grateful for your donations! Before scheduling a delivery, please take a look at the items we accept as well as our donation guidelines. We are respectfully asking you to not bring any items not listed. To address the growing need for our services in the community and our limited space, we need to focus on the items that are most helpful to our clients. When things are dropped off that are not on our list, it places the burden of disposing of them on us and takes us away from spending time furthering our mission. We appreciate your cooperation.

Have a question? You can reach us at info@sarahsfriends.org.

To all of our partners who would like to mail donations, please address them to Sarah's Friends, PO Box 907, Bryan, Ohio 43506.

What we accept

We accept items for both our housewares closet and our toiletry closet.

For housewares, we accept new and gently-used small appliances, and household goods. All donations should be in good condition. Linens should be free of rips and tears, stains, and excessive wear. A good rule of thumb is if you are tired of something, we want it. If you are needing to replace something, we kindly ask that you do not bring it to us.

We are currently accepting the following new and gently used items only. We kindly ask that you do not bring items that are not on the list, as it is awkward for our staff to have to reject things:

Bed Sheets (new and gently used)

Comforters/Blankets/Duvet Inserts and Covers (new and gently used)

Pillow (new)

Towels (new and gently used)

Toasters/Toaster Ovens

Coffee Makers (household size only)

Blenders

Microwaves

Plates and Cereal Bowls (no china, please)

Drinking Glasses

Silverware

Pots and Pans

Baking Dishes

For toiletries, we accept new personal care items, paper products, baby products, and cleaning items. Please see details under the categories below for more information.

This list is subject to change depending on the upcoming needs of our clients. Thank you so much for your partnership. We appreciate each and every donation!

Crisis Intervention

Sarah's Friends provides crisis intervention services which interacts with survivors who are suffering from crisis caused by crime in Williams County, Ohio. This program handles all encounters with survivors in crisis in a manner that promotes the dignity of all people while reflecting the values of protection and safety. During crisis intervention, Sarah's Friends recognizes the crucial step of safety planning with survivors. Lethality assessments are also utilized for the purpose of allowing staff to assess the most appropriate intervention or service to offer the survivor: provide a measure to assist the survivor with understanding subtle or hidden abuse within the relationship; and provide an opportunity for staff to provide the survivor with skills to protect themselves in the future.
Advocacy

Sarah's Friends defines advocacy as speaking and acting on behalf of oneself or another person or cause. This program follows a victim-defined model which builds on a partnership between the advocate and the survivor with the survivor guiding, directing, and defining the advocacy. Through advocacy, the advocate can be involved in supporting and assisting the survivor in a variety of ways including supporting the survivor to ensure their rights are upheld, providing general emotional support and guidance, attending meetings or discussions which may impact the services the survivor receives, and assisting the survivor to provide accurate information to service providers.
Case Management

The main purpose of case management is to link survivors to resources to address immediate needs and then to broaden to find services for secondary issues. Case management can be provided to any survivor of crime regardless of other program services being utilized. Case management begins with assistance by program staff to help survivors assess and identify needs and goals as well as identify strengths and assets to achieve those goals. Case management includes both short-term and long-term goals. Once goals are clearly defined by the survivor, staff provides the survivor with possible resources and allows them to choose how they want to work toward achieving their goals. Staff guidance places an emphasis on providing options and guidance rather than overbearing direction.
Emergency Financial Assistance

Emergency Financial Assistance provides one-time financial assistance when needed for areas of immediate health and safety, such as short-term emergency stays in a hotel when shelters are at capacity and access to independent housing is not available, food, gasoline, phones and/or phone cards, repairs of broken windows and doors, replacement locks, security camerras, prescription medication when insurance coverage is not available, clothing, and court filing fees related to child safety. Financial assistance can also be provided to cover the cost of survivor expenses relating to a victimization that without the assistance could create further, more catastrophic problems for the survivor. Examples of these types of expenses are car payments, utilities, or insurance expenses that cannot be paid by the survivor in the short-term resulting from their victimization.
Rapid Rehousing Assistance

The purpose of Rapid Rehousing Assistance is to provide survivors the support needed to find or maintain a safe place to reside and help re-establish independent lives away from their abuser. This program strives to meet this purpose by providing short-term rental and utility subsidies along with individualized case management support to survivors in Williams County who are currently facing homelessness due to: >Leaving their housing and seeking shelter to escape a dangerous partner; >Becoming evicted from housing due to batterer's destructive or criminal behavior (damaging property, harassing landlord, failing to pay rent, causing disturbances, etc.); >Not being able to financially afford to remain at the residence once the batterer is removed by means of eviction or public safety effort.
Transitional Housing Assistance

Sarah's Friends' Transitional Housing Assistance program has delivered longer-term housing and supportive services to individuals and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking for over a decade. These services provide a crucial link in the continuum of care for those experiencing victimization, as transitional housing provides a critical steppingstone toward safety and self-sufficiency for families who have become homeless as a result of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Transitional Housing Assistance provides family apartments for survivors and their dependents for a minimum of six (6) months with possible extensions up to twenty-four (24) months. Supportive services are aimed at self-empowerment, improved employment potential, increased opportunities for economic stability, strengthened skills in financial planning, family budgeting, and effective home management. All units are fully furnished and pet-friendly.
Peer Support

We understand that healing is not linear, and that recovery takes time. We also understand that processing trauma can be painful and challenging to navigate. It is our goal to build a safe and supportive environment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Through our support group, we strive to build a community among survivors that can help foster growth and empowerment, highlight survivor strengths, and allow for healing to occur. What can you expect? Come to group and share your story with others; reclaim your voice; and learn steps for moving forward. Learn new ways of coping, ways to recognize the signs associated with abuse, ways to build healthy relationships, and ways to reclaim your identity. Courage to Heal invites group participants to come to group ready to create and engage with their whole self-mind, body and soul.
Outreach & Prevention

Community education increases the community's awareness of domestic violence and other crimes occurring and how Sarah's Friends' mission addresses the needs of those who have been harmed. Community education also provides information to outside agencies about crime-related issues and resources and referral information to assist with identifying those in need. Outrach assists staff with linking services through case management to assist survivors and providing accurate resource information to individual community members or agencies. Sarah's Friends provides information on crime as well as services available through the organization to the community members of Williams County, Ohio. Priority is given to agencies that can help identify survivors in need and who provide needed services for the same individuals. Information is provided through presentations, meetings, social media and website streams, and supplying appropriate literature as requested.