Every Gift Has An Impact
Your gift today provides life-saving care for people in desperate need—shelter, nutritious food, addiction recovery, and long-term, residential programs. Through your generosity, they can begin new lives. So please, give now… and give generously.
Immediate Needs
All donation barns are now open!
You can help as we endeavor to meet the most basic needs of the disadvantaged and homeless men, women, and children in the Indianapolis and Bloomington communities. See the specific lists below.
Our guests regularly need bus tickets to get to and from job interviews, work, appointments, etc. Tickets can be purchased here and sent to:
Wheeler Mission – Bus Ticket Program
205 E. New York St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
Our Amazon wish lists have our most-needed items and can be shipped directly to us. Check them out here!
Donation Guidelines
We rely on donations to help off-set the costs of programming. Please see info below for our donation guidelines.
SCHEDULE A PICKUP NOW
Right now, we are only able to pick up donations of furniture. All other donations need to be brought to one of our donation drop-off locations. Thank you for your understanding.
Clothing & Household Items
Wheeler accepts donations of clothing and household items in clean and good condition. You may drop off your donations at our various drop-off locations around Indianapolis. Click to view our drop-off locations.
We commonly accept the following items:
- Clothing – men’s, women’s, children’s, accessories
- New underwear (men, women, children)
- Hygiene items (soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, etc.)
- Footwear – shoes, boots, shower shoes, socks
- Outerwear – coats, hats, scarves, gloves
- Books, records, CDs, DVDs
- House wares – dishes, kitchen utensils, lamps, working small appliances
- Knickknacks
- Furniture–dressers, tables, chairs, sofas
- Domestics–curtains, linen, bedspreads, blankets, etc.
- Sporting goods
- Games and toys
- Stuffed animals
Food
We rely on food donations–both perishable and non-perishable–to help feed the thousands of men, women, and children who come through our doors hungry and in need of help! We gladly accept any fresh or prepared food, provided the food meets certain preparation and storage guidelines.
Prepared food donations must be prepared or stored in a commercial kitchen. The food must not have been previously served and should be handled properly and kept at the proper temperature at all times. Large food donations should be brought to 520 E. Market Street. For questions and to arrange a large food donation, please contact our Director of Food Service, Colin Kirby, at colinkirby@wheelermission.org, or 317.687.6795.
Our most needed food items are:
- Coffee
- Sugar – bulk and packets
- Ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish
- Oatmeal – bulk or individual
- Fruit cups
- Pudding cups
- Pepper, salt (bulk), garlic & onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Salad dressing – Italian, Ranch, French
- Spaghetti sauce or pasta/tomato sauce
- Penne pasta, elbow macaroni, spaghetti, noodles
- Diced tomatoes
- Baked beans
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Canned condensed soups (i.e., cream of mushroom, chicken, or celery)
Food donations can be dropped off at our Shelter for Men (520 E. Market St., Indianapolis, IN 46204) during business hours or our Men’s Residential Center (245 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis, IN 46201) during non-business hours.
Summary of The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act
On October 1, 1996, President Clinton signed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to needy individuals. This law makes it easier for individuals and organizations to donate to charities of their choice. To read the full act, see below.
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act
- It protects donors from liability when donating to a non-profit organization.
- It protects donors from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the needy recipient.
- It standardizes donor liability exposure. Donors and their legal counsel no longer have to investigate liability laws in 50 states.
- It sets a liability floor of “gross negligence” or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. (See Act text for further definitions.)
- Congress recognized that the provision of food close to recommended date of sale is, in and of itself, not grounds for finding gross negligence. For example, cereal can be donated if it is marked close to code date for retail sale.
- The bill was named for Rep. Bill Emerson (R-Missouri) who fought for the proposal but died of cancer before it was passed.
The Bill Emerson Food Donation Act
One Hundred Fourth Congress of the United States of America, at the Second Session begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six.
An Act
To encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals by giving the Model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act the full force and effect of law.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. CONVERSION TO PERMANENT LAW OD MODEL GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION ACT AND TRANSFER OF THAT ACT TO CHILD NUTRITION ACT OF 1966.
(a) Conversion to Permanent Law. — Title IV of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended — by striking the title heading and sections 401 and 403 (42 U.S.C. 12671 and 12673); and in section 402 (42 U.S.C. 12672) —
(A) in the section heading, by striking “model” and inserting “bill emerson”
(B) in subsection (a), by striking “Good Samaritan” and inserting “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan:”
(C) in subsection (b)(7), to read as follows:
(7) GROSS NEGLIGENCE. — The term ‘gross negligence’ means voluntary and conscious conduct (including a failure to act) by a person who, at the time of the conduct, knew that the conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.;
(D) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
(c) LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES FROM DONATED FOOD AND GROCERY PRODUCTS.
(1) LIABILITY OF PERSON OR GLEANER. — A person or gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
(2) LIABILITY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. — A nonprofit organization shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the nonprofit organization received as a donation in good faith from a person or gleaner for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
(3) EXCEPTION. — Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to an injury to or death of an ultimate user or recipient of the food or grocery product that results from an act or omission of the person, gleaner or nonprofit organization, as applicable, constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.; and
(E) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede State or local health regulations.”.
(b) TRANSFER TO CHILD NUTRITION ACT OF 1966. — Section 402 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12762) (as amended by subsection (a)) — is transferred from the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; is redesignated as section 22 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; and is added at the end of such Act.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT. — The table of contents for the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by striking the items relating to title IV.
Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House of Representatives
Strom Thurmond, President of the Senate Pro Tempore
Approved 10/01/96 William J. Clinton President of the United States
Vehicles
Wheeler accepts donations of cars, trucks, vans, mini-buses, boats, tractors, and heavy construction equipment. Sorry — we draw the line at trains. For tax deduction information about such donations, see below.
To donate any vehicle, please email or call Steve Germani at (317)-635-3575, ext. 221 first. To donate a car, van, or truck, here’s what you need to know:
- Wheeler can accept any such vehicle, running or not.
- The person who owns the vehicle, possesses a clear title, and has the keys should be the one who calls.
- You may deliver your vehicle to us, or if it is in the Central Indiana area, we can arrange to pick up your vehicle.
- Vehicles that could not be used for ministry will be sold at auction with proceeds benefiting those Wheeler serves.
- You will receive a donation receipt.
Tax Deduction Information:
Wheeler is a qualifying 501(c)(3) charitable organization and according to the IRS, you can deduct the fair market value of your vehicle when you itemize your deductions.
How do you estimate the fair market value? We are not able to; however, the IRS publication 561 offers this advice: Say “the ‘blue book’ value of a car like yours is $1,600 in good condition. However, your car needs extensive repairs. After checking with repair shops and used car dealers, you find that the car should sell for $750. You may use $750 as the FMV of the car.”
There is no limit on how many vehicles you may donate during a year, but if the fair market value of the vehicle(s) is $5000 or greater you must file the IRS Form 8283 with your tax return.
Here are some links to the Kelly Blue Book and the NADA Guide to get you started. It’s also wise to compare your vehicle to similar ones for sale in the area; check out cars.com, and/or AutoTrader.com to see what price yours is bringing.
Other Large Items
Wheeler accepts all kinds of large donations, including furniture, appliances, building materials, etc. We commonly accept the following large items:
- Appliances – washers, dryers, refrigerators, cook stoves, window air conditioners, etc.
- Computer and office equipment (call 536.7522 for details)
- Bicycles
- Power tools
- Lawn tools and equipment
- Flat-screen TVs and electronics
View our Frequently Asked Questions below.
Q: Can Wheeler Pick up my donation?
A: At this time, Wheeler Mission is able to pick up certain donations. For more info, please click here.
Q: Does it have to be like new?
A: Items don’t have to be new, but they must be clean and in good condition. We don’t have the resources to fix or clean donations. We may decline any donation that doesn’t meet these minimal requirements.
Q: What does Wheeler accept?
A: We accept donations of home furnishing and appliances in good condition, clean clothing, household items, toys and games, books and magazines, but also things like lawn & garden tools, charcoal grills, and some building supplies. Sometimes we accept commercial appliances and office furniture. Please call 317.646.2624 if you have a question.
Appreciated Assets
Gifting appreciated assets (i.e. real estate, publicly traded securities) can benefit both you and Wheeler Mission. We’re able to discuss your options and walk you through the process. Click for more details.
What we cannot accept
We are unable to accept the following items:
- Used box springs, mattresses, and waterbeds
- Any type of building material (windows, doors, screening, etc.)
- Paint, household chemicals, insecticides, etc.
- Used car parts
- Pianos and organs (synthesizer keyboards are accepted)
- Tube TVs, console TVs, or console stereos
- Appliances that malfunction in any way
- Used dishwashers
- Used pillows
- Used tires
- Hospital beds
- Used carpet
- Used cribs
- Any item we deem unsalable in our thrift store
Want to help raise money for Wheeler Mission?
It’s easy! No matter what you would like to do, you can easily raise money to help the homeless served at Wheeler Mission and make a real-life impact.
Create your own fundraiser!
Examples of fundraisers:
- running in a marathon, like the annual Drumstick Dash held on Thanksgiving Morning!
- giving up birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, wedding gifts
- doing a tribute
- in memory of a loved one
- in honor of someone
- volunteering
DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATIONS
Donation Barns
With some limitations, you can drop your donations in one of our donation barns, 24-hours a day. Please don’t leave donations outside the barns.
Donation barns can only accept clothing and small household goods, clean and in good condition. Please, no food, furniture, or appliances at the donation barns.
Donation barns are located in parking lots of the following churches:
Ministry Locations:
The following Wheeler Mission ministry locations can accept clean donations in good condition. Drop offs are limited by hours.
Men’s Residential Center
245 N Delaware St, Indianapolis, IN 46204 [Delivery Map]
8AM-11PM, 7 days
Delivery Instructions: Drive to the back of the building (enter from New York Street). Go to the white fenced area. At the set of double doors, ring the buzzer and someone will come get your donation.
Donation Center
2730 Madison Ave, Indianapolis [map]
8AM-4PM, Mon-Fri (donate inside Donation Center)
Center for Men – Bloomington, IN
215 S. Westplex Ave., Bloomington, IN 47404 [Map]
8AM-11PM, 7 days
Wheeler Mission Store
8640 E 96th St, Fishers, IN 46037 [Delivery Map]
Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Closed on Sun.
Delivery Instructions: Delivery is at the rear of the building. Please proceed to the north side of the building and watch for donation signs. When you drive over the chord on the ground it will activate the bell. We will unload your items for you.
Shelter for Men
520 E Market St, Indianapolis, IN 46204 [Delivery Map]
8AM-11PM, 7 days
Delivery Instructions: This location is primarily for professional delivery of truckloads, but all approved items are accepted. Please proceed to the West side of the building, on East street between Wabash Street and Market Street (see delivery map). Use door #8.