HomeHelping Hands Initiative

Helping Hands in Florida's communities.

FAVR helps vacation rental operators donate reusable items — so good things don't end up in the trash and local people in need get what they can use.

Turnover checklist Statewide resources Local resources

Items you can donate

Clothing Shoes Linens Unopened food Furniture Housewares And more

About the initiative

Donate instead of throwing away

FAVR's Helping Hands Initiative encourages vacation rental managers, owners, and guests to donate nonperishable and reusable items to support local people in need. We maintain a Florida-wide directory of donation options. Some organizations require drop-off, and others will schedule pickups.

Workflow

Vacation rental turnover donation checklist

A simple process to work donations into your regular turnover routine.

1. Collect and separate

Set a labeled donation bin in the owner closet or supply area
Separate by type: linens, clothing, unopened food, housewares
Keep donations dry and clean

2. Bag and label

Bag items neatly in trash bags or storage bags
Label: "Linens," "Clothing," "Unopened Food," etc.
For linens, bundle sets when possible

3. Choose drop-off or pickup

Use the statewide links below to find drop-off points
Some organizations offer scheduled pickups

4. Track your impact

Note the number of bags, boxes, or items donated
Keep a quick log for your team and property owners
Share your stories with FAVR

Confirm each organization's accepted items and hours before drop-off or pickup.

Statewide

Statewide donation resources

Find drop-off points and pickup resources throughout Florida.

By region

Local resources

Regional starting points from our directory. We continue expanding these statewide.

Bay County

A Hand Up International Anchorage Children's Home Beach Care Services Doorways of Northwest Florida Humble House Ministries Panama City Rescue Mission

Brevard County (Space Coast)

Ascension Catholic Thrift Shop The Genesis Pantry — Melbourne · (321) 254-0010 Daily Bread Food Bank — Melbourne · (321) 723-1060 New Life Mission Family Promise of Brevard Hope of Brevard Brevard Homeless Coalition CITA Rescue Mission

Central Florida

Osceola County: CCAP Florida · Hands of Hope America · Dream Center

Lake County: Lake Cares · Hope Helps — The Hope Chest

Orange County: Christian Service Center

Polk County: NBCFL

Seminole County: The Sharing Center

Daytona

Halifax Urban Ministries

Fort Myers

Community Cooperative Gladiolus Food Pantry Heavenly Manna Food Pantry & Clothes Closet

Indian Rocks Beach

Vacation Donations

Jacksonville

CCB Jax ACE Foundation — Threads of Hope

Miami

Food for Life Network Feeding South Florida Catholic Community of Coral Gables Coconut Grove Crisis Food Pantry Donation Pickup — Coral Gables

Pensacola

Manna Food Pantries

St. Augustine

St. Johns Food Pantry

Tampa Bay Area (Hillsborough County)

Oasis Opportunities Feeding Tampa Bay

Shelters & emergency housing

Catholic Charities Tampa Hope Shelter
Shelter, meals, hygiene supplies, and support services for up to 300 men and women, plus help finding permanent housing and jobs. 3704 East 3rd Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605 · (813) 394-2881

The Spring of Tampa Bay
Safe shelter and support services for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Location confidential for safety. (813) 247-7233

Cove Community Housing Solutions Center
4-month housing program for 75 adult men and women, focused on finding permanent housing. 3630 North 50th Street, Tampa, FL 33619 · (813) 384-4170

New Beginnings
Emergency shelter for 40 adult men and women in a clean, safe, drug-free environment. Open 365 days a year, with special programs for homeless veterans. First-come, first-served by bed availability. 8535 North Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, FL 33604 · (813) 971-6961

Metropolitan Ministries
Serves families with children and single women at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Apply online and an intake specialist will follow up. 2002 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602 · (813) 209-1000 · intakedocs@metromin.org · (813) 209-1222

Salvation Army Red Shield Center
132 shelter beds available 24/7, with case management, meals, job help, insurance help, and Social Security help. First-come, first-served. Bring a photo ID. No cost. 1514 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602 · (813) 549-0641

St. Vincent de Paul CARES
Housing assistance and support services to help people experiencing homelessness find permanent homes and stabilize their lives. 2810 West Saint Isabel Street, Suite 100, Tampa, FL 33607 · (727) 823-2516

Rapid rehousing & rental assistance

Dawning Family Services · (813) 875-2024
Catholic Charities · (813) 631-4370
Metropolitan Ministries · (813) 209-1000
ACTS · (813) 246-4899
Cove Behavioral Health · (813) 384-4000
EPIC · (813) 237-3066
St. Vincent de Paul CARES · (727) 823-2516
Tampa Crossroads · (813) 238-8557

Help for cancer patients

The Mesothelioma Center
Resources for cancer patients including housing help, food help, and special programs for women, children, and low-income families. Treatment Centers · Financial Help

Find all local services & general help

Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI)
Maintains a network of all local service providers and connects you with homeless help and other resources from community partners. (813) 223-6115

General community help
Call 211 for information, referrals, and crisis counseling, or visit 211atyourfingertips.org.

The Coffee Shop Drop-in Center
Showers, laundry, computers, internet, and phones. Open 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. 6220 North Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, FL 33604 · (813) 272-2311

Treasure Coast (Martin, St. Lucie & Indian River Counties)

LAHIA — Love and Hope in Action House of Hope — Martin County Treasure Coast Health — Thrift Boutiques Salvation Army — Martin County Treasure Coast Food Bank United Against Poverty — St. Lucie Sarah's Kitchen Indian River County Food Pantry Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen St. Vincent de Paul — Sebastian

Walton County

Caring & Sharing of South Walton

West Volusia

Neighborhood Center of West Volusia

Have a resource to add?

If you know of a great local organization — or you are one — send it our way and we will add it to the Helping Hands directory.

Email jimi@floridaavr.org