Giving
The Affordable Homes Group, Inc. and its member companies welcome donations of items for use in our shelter housing program. On an average daily basis we are housing 170 people from at least 40 family units in our residences. There are new individuals and families every week, and often the people coming to us are in need of certain items to get started. Salt and Light, which maintains the forty-nine residential units operated by People First! (formerly known as Transitional Housing Services), accepts items for use in our houses (please see the information below). Transitional Housing Services, which oversees the case management of residents in our program, accepts non-perishable food items throughout the year, as well as special holiday items at different times during the year (please see below). We maintain a donation wish list that we hand out to churches and organizations as our needs and supply change.
Both The Salt and Light Company, Inc. and People First, Inc. are 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. We will provide donation letters donation for tax purposes, upon your request.
Items used and accepted by Salt and Light include:
Furniture: sofas/loveseats, dining tables and chairs, coffee/end tables (no glass tops), bed frames and/or mattresses and box springs (no king size), dressers, lamps
Household Goods: pots and pans, dishes, flatware, kitchen utensils, small appliances (toasters, microwaves)
Appliances: refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, televisions
A note on appliances: Over the years we have had to learn to turn down offers for a number of items, particularly appliances, as we tended to receive donations of items that were broken-down or had exceeded their useful life. We ask that you give items that you know to be in working order and would expect to continue functioning for a reasonable amount of time. Depending on the need for items immediately in our housing units and the space available in our warehouse, we may not be able to accept such items at all times. Please contact us if you have questions.
People First welcomes donations of food, certain personal items, and special holiday or gift items at different times throughout the year. Non-perishable food items are helpful to us year round. We stock a food pantry with items for our residents. We also greatly appreciate grocery store vouchers or certificates. These can be purchased at most any supermarket and are useful throughout the year. Our pantry is only able to house non-perishable goods, and these vouchers allow clients to obtain other dietary necessities (such as milk, meat, cheese, and produce) and prepare more rounded meals for their families.
We are in in need of only certain personal hygiene products and baby products, however, the demand for those items is often underestimated. The items specifically needed are baby diapers (all sizes, including newborn) and feminine hygiene products (sanitary napkins and tampons).
For holidays and other occasions, we appreciate you contacting us four to six weeks in advance so that we can discuss the items needed, plan for the arrival of your donation, and arrange for our staff to distribute to our clients, who are scattered throughout Burlington and Camden counties.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets: A complete Thanksgiving meal for a family.
Christmas and Holiday Gifts (new only): Please contact us for information on how we may assign you a family for a holiday, so that we can provide you with information such as the gender and ages of children in families in our program
Wish List: We maintain a wish list of miscellaneous items needed throughout the year as our supply changes.
Our organization does not accept donations of clothing, however, there are other agencies and organizations in the area that you may contact. For their information, please see our Directory of Social Services.