Annenberg School Holds Household Goods Drive for Refugees

The items range from kitchenware to light bulbs to toiletries and will be donated to HIAS Pennsylvania.

By Julie Sloane

Front-view of a marble-tiled table with five pots and pans. On the right are three red shiny pots of different sizes stacked on top of each other, with the smallest on top with it's cover. On the left are two black frying pans with the face facing the front and the handles are upwards. The smaller one is in in front of the larger one. photo credit @cookerking / Unsplash

Photo Credit: @cookerking / Unsplash

From Nov. 28 until Dec. 12, the Annenberg School for Communication will be collecting household goods for refugee families who have been resettled in the Philadelphia area.

These items, which range from kitchenware to light bulbs to toiletries (see full list below), will be donated to HIAS Pennsylvania, an agency that resettles 250 refugees each year in our city. The majority of these refugees come from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, Eritrea, Burma, and Bhutan, as well as LGBTQ refugees from Iran and Uganda.

HIAS reports that these refugee families arrive with two suitcases per person at most, and the only government funding available to help with their rent and utilities is about $1,000 per person.

“Families come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences,” says Sarah Kaeppel, Refugee Housing & Basic Needs Coordinator for HIAS Pennsylvania. “We have worked with Congolese families of 6 who lived in refugee camps for the last 12 years; Iraqi engineers, doctors, and interpreters who aided the United States; Bhutanese families of young adults who were born in camps in Nepal as far back as 1990 and now have young children of their own.”

Annenberg will be collecting items in two locations, both of which will have well-marked boxes:

  • Under the television screen on the first floor
  • In the room 200 Administrative Offices

Donated items will be moved daily to secure storage, and volunteers from our Graduate Student Council will deliver the items to HIAS.

If you would like to make a cash donation to HIAS, you can do so directly on its website.

Please note that we are not collecting food or clothing, other than winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.

If you have any questions about the drive, please contact Julie Sloane. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

HIAS Pennsylvania’s Refugee Resettlement Wish List

HIAS Pennsylvania collects household items to set up apartments for newly arrived refugee families in the Philadelphia area. Items in highest demand are in bold.

*Products marked with a star below must be new. The remainder of the list can be used items, assuming they are clean and functional.

**If you are bringing in any used soft goods — jackets, hats/gloves, towels, bedding, backpacks, etc. — they must be completely enclosed in a plastic bag such as a garbage bag. This is purely out of an abundance of caution that nobody inadvertently introduces bedbugs to our building.

BABY ITEMS

  • Baby wipes*
  • Diapers*
  • Strollers

CLEANING SUPPLIES

  • All-purpose cleaners*
  • Brooms and dust pans
  • Buckets
  • Dish soap*
  • Laundry baskets
  • Laundry detergent*
  • Mops
  • Paper towels*
  • Rubber gloves
  • Scouring pads*
  • Scouring powder*
  • Sponges*
  • Toilet bowl brush with holder*
  • Trash bags*
  • Wash basins
  • Medium-sized trash cans with lids

GENERAL ITEMS

  • Alarm clocks with batteries
  • Backpacks
  • Calculators
  • Calendars
  • Dictionaries
  • Envelopes*
  • Notebooks and writing pads*
  • Pencils and pencil sharpeners
  • Pens
  • Umbrellas
  • Wall clocks
  • Winter coats**
  • Hats**
  • Scarves**
  • Gloves**

HOME IMPROVEMENT ITEMS

  • Clothes hangers
  • Duct tape*
  • Picture hangers
  • Scotch tape*
  • Storage tubs
  • Tool kits (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, measuring tape)
  • Weatherization supplies

KITCHEN ITEMS

  • Aluminum foil*
  • Baking dishes
  • Bowls
  • Can openers
  • Chinese chef's knives/meat cleavers
  • Cooking spoons
  • Cups and glasses
  • Cutting boards
  • Dish racks
  • Flatware (forks, knives, spoons)
  • Frying pans
  • Kitchen knives
  • Kitchen matches*
  • Mixing bowls
  • Mortar and pestle sets
  • Oven mitts and potholders
  • Plastic food storage containers
  • Plastic wrap*
  • Plates
  • Pots with lids
  • Reusable grocery bags
  • Rice cookers (6-cup sizes and up)
  • Sauce pans
  • Serving utensils
  • Spatulas
  • Stockpots
  • Tea kettles

LIGHTING, APPLIANCES, & ELECTRONICS

  • CFL bulbs
  • DVD players
  • Extension cords
  • Fans
  • Flashlights
  • Lamps
  • Power strips
  • Radios
  • Telephones
  • Vacuum cleaners

LINENS**

(All of the below must be in bags if used.)

  • Bath/hand towels
  • Bath rugs
  • Bed sheets (twin, full, queen)
  • Blankets
  • Comforters
  • Mattress pads
  • Pillows*
  • Pillowcases
  • Shower curtains with hooks
  • Washcloths

TOILETRIES*

(All of the below must be new)

  • Deodorant
  • Digital thermometers
  • Disposable razors
  • First aid kits
  • Hair combs and brushes
  • Lip balm
  • Lotion
  • Shampoo
  • Shaving cream
  • Sanitary napkins (for women/girls)
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste