City Cast Philly logo

Help Your Neighbor by Starting Your Own Donation Drive

Posted on November 14, 2022   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Brittany Valentine

Brittany Valentine

Everyone has the potential to do something great for Philly. (Clark Tibbs/Unsplash)

Everyone has the potential to do something great for Philly. (Clark Tibbs/Unsplash)

During the holiday season, food, clothing, and toy drives start popping up everywhere. But did you know that you can actually host a donation drive on your own for your favorite organization? Here are a few tips to get you started.

The event can be as creative as you want. It could be a book swap, a sporting goods swap for youth, a diaper drive for local families, or even animal supplies for a shelter.

First, pick an organization and coordinate with them. Ask what items they need, and then publicize the event with those items in mind. 

Drives and swaps can differ in structure. Drives usually work best when people can drop off items over a period of time. Swaps are typically held on a specific day and time, so plan accordingly.  

Make sure to find a proper location. You don’t want to publicize your home address. Some good options are public buildings, stores, offices, or other easily accessible places. For a swap, you’ll need appropriate space and tables to set up the donated items.  

Have fun! Doing things like this can be time-consuming and maybe a bit stressful, but they are sure to fill your heart with so much warmth. And now that you’ve completed your first, the next one will be a piece of cake. Community is where wellness begins. 💗

Share article

Hey Philly

Stay connected to City Cast Philly and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
Advertisement image

Help Your Neighbors

See All
Help Your NeighborsAugust 18, 2025

Community Gardens To Volunteer at in Philly

Philly is home to numerous community gardens that rely on volunteers. Here are a few around the city where you can lend a helping hand.

A pair of hands scooping soil in a garden bed with plants growing.
Help Your NeighborsAugust 31, 2023

Supporting Philadelphia’s Local Libraries

Libraries are essential to our communities in many ways. In 2016, researchers found that the Philly’s public libraries support nearly 500...

The front entrance of Parkway Central Library on Vine Street. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)
Help Your NeighborsJanuary 30, 2023

Help Your Neighbor: Support Local Libraries

In 2016, researchers found that the Philly’s public libraries support nearly 500,000 people every year with programming focused on housin...

The front entrance of Parkway Central Library on Vine Street. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)
Help Your NeighborsJanuary 9, 2023

Help Your Neighbor by Raising Mental Health Awareness

In the greater Philadelphia area, more than 17% of adults over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, with the...

Photo of a temporarily-placed goth heart street art piece in Center City by artist Amberella. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)
Help Your NeighborsDecember 12, 2022

Help Your Neighbor Make Volunteering Easy

Philadelphia is big on volunteer work, and there are so many incredible ways to help your community thrive.

Volunteers painting a mural in Chinatown. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)
Help Your NeighborsOctober 24, 2022

Aid Survivors of Domestic Violence with These Advocacy Groups

In 2021, 43 people were killed by domestic violence in Philadelphia.

Support survivors through October and every month. (BojanMirkovic/Getty Images)
Help Your NeighborsOctober 17, 2022

How to Help Your Neighbor in Times of Mental Crisis

Helping your neighbor can come in many forms, and sometimes it means stepping in as a bystander during mental health emergencies.

Community is where wellness begins. (Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)
Help Your NeighborsSeptember 7, 2022

Steps you Can Take to Help Improve Child Literacy in Philly

Tree House Books is a Giving Library and Literacy center in North Philly.

The latest in Philly

Sponsored

Moving to Philadelphia? What to Check Before You Pick a Neighborhood, Book a Truck, and Sign a Lease

With this guide, you can move to Philadelphia, move from another place to Philadelphia, or just see if living in Philadelphia fits your d...

Wellknown Moving Company Logo
Philly, ExplainedJuly 31

Prove Your Weekly Philly Knowledge

Pop quiz, Philly! It’s that time again to test your knowledge on local trivia.

Facing a large crowd of fans, The Phillie Phanatic mascot holds a sign that says "Welcome LeBron."
Philly's BestJuly 31

How To Spend August 2026 in Philly

The semiquincentennial may officially be behind us, but Philly’s keeping the party atmosphere going through the rest of this summer.

Eight plates of sandwiches with seeded buns of different varieties placed in a circle on a table.
Food & DrinkJuly 30

Your Guide to New Restaurants, Bars & Cafés in Philly

Philly’s local culinary scene is constantly growing and changing. Here’s a recap of some of the restaurants, bars, cafés, and other delic...

Six pastries are laid out on a metal tray with wax paper, a person wearing all black holds the tray with their left hand
Keep It LocalJuly 30

2nd Street Festival Celebrates 16 Years on Aug. 2

Over 40,000 people are expected to experience the three-quarter-mile stretch of Second Street packed with local food trucks, artists, str...

A view of the 2nd Street Festival in Northern Liberties, with hundreds of people in the streets and vendors stationed under white tents along the sides of Second Street.
Keep It LocalJuly 30

Our Favorite Places to Shop in NoLibs

We have a guide to the Northern Liberties shops that deserve a spot on your festival itinerary.

Shelves inside Ray’s Reusables display sustainable products, including empty mason jars, natural scrubbing brushes, bees wrap, stasher reusable bags, chopsticks, metal straws, and laundry bags.
Philly, ExplainedJuly 24

Play Our Philly Crossword Puzzle

This mini-crossword is filled with clues on Philly history and headlines.

City Cast Philly Crossword
Keep It LocalJuly 23

What Rittenhouse Hardware Does Better Than the Big Box Stores

At Rittenhouse Hardware you can find knowledgeable, attentive staff; parts for older homes that many hardware chains don’t carry; and the...

Rittenhouse Hardware owner Jesse Prager stands in front of the store on the corner of Pine and 20th streets.