Donation of Goods

Smaller soft goods must be bagged and smaller hard goods must be boxed whether it is for an in-store donation drop off or pick-up. Please separate hard goods from soft goods. For pick-ups, please have items outside on the street level and clearly labeled for St. Vincent de Paul. For the safety of our employees, loose items will not be accepted.

• No. Due to liability issues, we do not use elevators or go upstairs or downstairs. Three to four steps are okay if items are not too heavy. Items such as pianos, armoires, hockey tables, etc. must be on the ground level for us to pick up.
• If there is an elevator, all items should be on the ground level before we arrive. We do this as a courtesy to the other donors waiting for their donation pick up. 

The only items that have to be outside of your house are pianos, hockey tables, or items that are very large. All other furniture can be picked up from inside your home as long as they are readily accessible and disassembled (if disassembly is necessary). We do not rearrange furniture to get to the items you are donating. This helps us avoid damaging your furniture and home.

*Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, we are currently unable to enter homes.

Baby items such as cribs, playpens, bouncers and car seats among others are subject to recall. Since we do not keep up with what specific items are being recalled, we ensure babies’ safety by not accepting, donating or selling those items. However, we do accept baby clothing, shoes and blankets.

Yes, if you have cans of food or groceries to donate please call us at 888.552.7872 and they can advise you if they can accept your food donation.

Yes, we provide a receipt at the time of donation.

According to the IRS, we are not appraisers of your donations; please refer to IRS link http://www.irs.gov/publications/p561/ar02.html#d0e556. This is a discussion between you and your accountant to determine the value of your donated goods.

We certainly can. Please call our call center 800.974.3571 or 323. 224.6280.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a locally-based organization that provides assistance to low-income individuals and families in need. The goal of the Society is to end poverty. We believe in helping people get back on their feet by supporting them through tough times. In addition to our 2,500 volunteers who meet with people in their homes to help them, we sponsor the following programs:

• Food pantries and soup kitchens
• The Cardinal Manning Center for homeless men on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
• A free Learning Center at our Los Angeles office for ESL and GED students.
• A camp for underserved children in the mountains north of Santa Barbara.

By shopping at our stores, you fund our charitable programs and services in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties caring for the disadvantaged, poor and low income. Our volunteers throughout the community rely on our stores to assist with the provision of free clothing, furniture and appliances for needy families they serve. A byproduct of shopping at thrift stores is becoming part of the green and sustainable reuse, reduce and recycle movement. We divert millions of pounds of product from the landfill each year. Thrift shopping is good for our environment.

Yes. Through our charitable works we give away clothing, household items, appliances, beds and furniture. Please call our assistance hotline at 888.552.7872.

Our prices are set by trained prices with years of experience. The price is determined by many variables, condition, brand, trend, wear, original price, style, color, size, quantity and floor space. Even with years of experience, we can still make mistakes. You are welcome to speak to a supervisor to discuss why the price is marked as it is. We welcome your feedback on our pricing.

• We have customers who make their business out of buying items, repairing them and selling them for a profit. We also have a large number of studio Art Directors and Set Decorators who shop at our store who care more about how a piece “looks” versus “function”. As a nonprofit, we have a huge responsibility to our donors and the people we serve to at least attempt to get top dollar for each item we sell.
• We do assure you we test everything before it is put on the floor. You are welcome to test the product before you leave in our tester area.

We are zero landfill by diverting over 400,000 pounds of textiles from the landfill. We recycle 800 tons of TVs, beds, metal, paper, cardboard, copper wiring, electronics and we are always looking for other avenues to continue our green efforts.

We advise you to back up your files and wipe the device by restoring to factory settings. Terminate your service. Remove your SIM card. Call your service provider or device manufacturer for technical support.

Please call our call center immediately 800.974.3571 or 323. 224.6280 and provide the following details:

• Date of donation
• Was it a pick-up or drop-off?
• A complete list, provide comprehensive details of the bags/boxes/containers and all the items that were donated.

Yes. Please call us at 800.974.3571 or 323. 224.6280 and we would be more than happy to set up an ongoing partnership with you in picking up your unwanted items.

No, we do not offer consignment.

No, we do not rent items, but we do allow rentals of our facilities, such as our thrift stores and summer camp in Santa Barbara.