In-Kind Donations

Mutual Ground is very grateful to individuals who support our programs, services, and clients with donations of items from our wishlists and items that we regularly need for our shelter such as pantry, cleaning supplies and hygiene items.

In-kind donations also include donations of new or very gently used clothing to support our clothing closet. When considering donating used goods to Mutual Ground, please ask yourself “Is this item in good enough condition for my family?”  We take pride in offering our shelter residents and clients items that are still in good/useable condition.

Mutual Ground is a secure facility; therefore, we are unable to accept donations at all times.

Donations from our wishlist may be dropped off during our regularly scheduled donation hours listed on our calendar.

If you would like to drop off items outside of these times, please schedule an appointment with our Community Impact Coordinator, Julie Zeman, at jzeman@mutualground.org or 630-897-0084 ext. 104.

Donation Drop-Off Information

CAN MY DONATION BE PICKED UP? Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to accommodate pick-ups.

Drop-Off Location & Procedures

Mutual Ground’s Main Campus | 418 Oak Avenue | Aurora, IL 60506

When you arrive, please enter the campus from the driveway off West Park Avenue and stop at Door #2. Ring the doorbell so staff can assist you. Donation receipts are available upon request.

*Please do not leave donations at the door.

Donate from our Amazon Wishlist! These are items that have been requested by our clients, needed for our shelter, or needed to support our programs. Donating from Amazon allows you to conveniently shop online and ship donations directly to Mutual Ground.

Donations can be shipped to:
Mutual Ground | 418 Oak Avenue | Aurora, IL, 60506

Shop Our Amazon Wishlist

Please review our Wishlist and list of items we are not accepting. If items you are wishing to donated are not on these lists please contact Julie Zeman to ensure we can accept items you are donating at jzeman@mutualground.org or (630)734-9565.

Mutual Ground’s Wishlist

Download Our Basic Needs Wishlist

Clothing Donation Update
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we have received an abundance of women’s clothing. At this time, we are temporarily pausing women’s clothing donations while we review our inventory and determine what items are most needed next. Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support — we truly appreciate you.

    • Foil

    • Towels

    • Bluetooth Headphones

    • Butter

    • Baby monitors

    • New or gently used boys clothing all sizes

    • New or gently used women’s sweatpants

  • Gift Cards

    • Store Cards: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc.)

    • Fast Food Gift Cards

    • Gas cards valued at $20+

    • Uber/Lyft Gift Cards – valued $25 or $50

    Household/Cleaning Products:

    • Aluminum Foil

    • Bathroom Cleaning Products

    • Brooms/Dust pans

    • Dish Detergent - liquid

    • Dish Detergent - pods

    • Disinfecting Wipes

    • Disposable cutlery

    • Disposable plates/bowls, etc.

    • Fabric Softener - liquid

    • Floor Cleaner

    • Freezer Ziplock Bags — all sizes

    • Hand Soap

    • Kleenex – regular & pocket

    • Large cooking pots

    • Laundry Detergent - pods

    • Lysol Spray

    • Mops

    • NEW Twin Size Bedding: Pillows, Pillow Protectors, Mattress Pads/Covers, Sheet Sets/Pillowcases, Comforters/Blankets

    • Paper Towels

    • Plastic Laundry Baskets

    • Swiffer refills

    • Toilet Paper

    • Towels (new): Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Wash Rags

    • Trash Bags – all sizes

    Personal Care (full sizes/family sizes):

    • Bar Soap

    • Body Wash

    • Brushes/Roller Hair Brushes

    • Chapstick

    • Combs

    • Hand lotion

    • Loofas

    • Lotions

    • Razors

    • Shampoo/Conditioner - including multicultural brands

    • Shaving Cream (women & men)

    • Vaseline

    Pantry Items (Unexpired/Unopened):

    • Canned Soups

    • Cookies

    • Crackers

    • Fruit juice (plastic container or individual sized)

    • Ground Coffee

    • Oatmeal

    • Powdered Creamer – plain or flavored

    • Snacks: Fruit Cups, Jell-O Cups, Pudding Cups, Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks

    • Spaghetti Sauce

    Items for Baby (New)

    • Baby Lotion

    • Baby Shampoo/Bodywash

    • Baby Wipes

    • Crib Mattress Pad Protectors

    • Crib Sheets (new)

    • Diaper Cream

    • Onesies/Clothing

    Clothing

    • Bras (All Sizes)

    • Pajamas for Adults and Children (All Sizes)

    • Socks for Adults and Children (All Sizes - new)

    • Underwear for Adult and Children (All Sizes - new)

    Dental Care (Unexpired/Unopened):

    • Dental Floss

    • Mouthwash

    • Toothbrushes

    • Toothpaste (children/adult)

    Other Items

    • Disposable Underwear

    • Earplugs – for sleep

    • Eye Masks – for sleep

    • Flat Irons

    • Hair Dryers

    • Headphones (all types, Bluetooth, wired, etc.)

    • Make-up Remover/Wipes

    • Nail Clippers/Files

    • New or gently used clothing for all ages and genders

    • New or gently used scrubs

    • New or gently used pajamas all ages and sizes

    • New or gently used shoes

    • New or gently used kitchen or household appliances

    • Damaged/Dirty Used Clothing

    • Used stuffed animals

    • Used bedding

    • Used mattresses

    • Opened or expired food or hygiene items

    • Hotel branded travel size products

    • Used toys

      ***Large household furniture – if you are interested in donating large furniture please email Julie Zeman at jzeman@mutualgroud.org, with a description of the furniture (and picture if possible). We will share it with our staff to see if they have a client in need. If we have a client in need we will help coordinate the donation.

    Other Organizations Accepting Donations:

Other Donation Information

  • Car Donations

    Mutual Ground is delighted to partner with Cars of Hope for our car donations. This partnership allows us to provide additional support to clients in need of transportation.

    Donated cars are evaluated and necessary repairs are made, if repairs are too costly cars are sold at auction and funds are used to repair other cars in the program. Additional funds raised are used to support other repairs and cars.

    To donate a car to Mutual Ground please contact Cars of Hope at
    (224) 216-CARS and let them know you were directed by Mutual Ground.

  • Cellphone or Tablet Donations

    Have any old cellphones or tablets you no longer use? Drop them off at Mutual Ground to be recycled! This campaign helps provide extra financial support to Mutual Ground. We will recycle cellphones of any age, condition, or value.