Food – Hope Ministries sponsors one of the largest meals programs in central Iowa. We serve three meals a day, 365 days a year with two staggered meals on Sunday. In just the past three years we have served over 330,000 meals averaging 350 meals per day. We receive food donations valued at more than $200,000 each year, which benefits our year-round meals program. Generous individuals, churches, local businesses and corporations provide much of this. Food donations from Farmer’s Markets and other individuals (garden vegetables, for instance) are gratefully accepted as well. Watch this website in months ahead for more information announcing our annual Harvest of Hope program in the fall of each year. Food donations can be dropped off at our Bethel Mission or Door of Faith facilities.

Personal items – Often, individuals, families, church, businesses or civic groups will sponsor a drive to collect personal items ranging from disposable razors, to deodorants, to underwear and socks and deliver them to us. This is a great way to impact a homeless man or women’s life directly.  Send us a message by clicking on CONTACT US for information about how to sponsor a special drive.

A Note to Our Donors Hope Ministries is a charitable non-profit organization.  We accept slightly used and working items.   We cannot accept donations of items that are broken or do not work.   Donations of these items result in exorbitant disposal costs to our ministry.  Other items that are difficult for us to dispose of are soiled mattresses, broken televisions, computer monitors, rusted or broken appliances, broken and rusted bicycles, ripped or stained couches.  We appreciate items that people are likely to purchase.  We cannot accept donations after business hours, often these items will have to be disposed of.

Donations of Clothing is accepted at our Bethel Mission, Door of Faith and Hope Bargain Center facilities.  All clothing eventually ends up at our production and distribution center located at our Bargain Center in Pleasant Hill.  When-ever possible, we appreciate your effort to pre-sort and label your donation of clothing.  This will save us considerable time.  We prefer to receive your donated clothing in garbage bags.   We are thankful for our volunteers who help sort your donations. 

Click here to learn how we handle clothing distributions.

Donations of Household Items – is accepted at our Hope Bargain Center located at 4940 Old E. University Ave. in Pleasant Hill.   Your donation will be sold in our retail (thrift store) area.  Proceeds from the sale of your clothing are used to support our ministry including meals and shelter for the homeless in our community.  Once again, we accept slightly used and working items.   We cannot accept donations of items that are broken or do not work.   Donations of these items result in exorbitant disposal costs to our ministry.  Other items that are difficult for us to dispose of are soiled mattresses, broken televisions, computer monitors, rusted or broken appliances, broken and rusted bicycles, ripped or stained couches.  We appreciate items that people are likely to purchase.  We cannot accept donations of household items after business hours.  Often these items will have to be disposed of. 

Donate Your Garage Sale Items – Garage sales can demand a lot of your time and far too often not yield the result you were hoping for.   It includes hauling things from the house to your garage, pricing items and when it’s all over, hauling it back inside.

Here are a few suggestions from others when it comes to garage sales:

1. You might be further ahead just donating your items to the Hope Bargain Center and receive an in-kind tax receipt for your contribution.  We will convert your donation into cash and use that to feed and shelter the homeless in central Iowa.

2. Others have taken their left-over (unsold) items to Hope Bargain Center rather than haul it back inside their house. 

3. Others have held a Hope Sale with the proceeds going to Hope Ministries.

Keep in mind that we are looking for slightly used clothing and household items.