Service Project Ideas
For volunteers and community groups
All services and supplies at CAPSA are provided to the victims free of charge. Your donations directly improve the lives of the victims affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape in Cache Valley. The kit ideas below are put together by CAPSA, but they are not final. Please feel free to expand or narrow down these kits to fit within your time frame and your budget. We appreciate any and all donations that we receive. Additionally, you do not need to donate items in kits. You can donate items listed below and our volunteers can match them with other donations to make kits. The only thing we ask of you is to collect donations from citizens of the community, and not from businesses. CAPSA solicits donations from various Cache Valley businesses for fundraisers throughout the year, so we do not want to overextend our welcome. Please help us keep our relationships with local businesses strong by only collecting from community members. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.
If you have questions about making a donation or putting together a service project, contact the CAPSA Volunteer Coordinator by calling 435-753-2500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Thank you again for your support of CAPSA and our services.
| Project: | School Supplies Kit |
| Age: | All ages, preschool-high school |
| Why: | CAPSA provides children's groups and cares for children while parents are using our services. School kits are given to these children during the time they are at CAPSA, and are also provided to children who are staying in the shelter and may need some additional supplies for school. Materials for the kits can be compiled and stored in Ziploc bags, over the shoulder bags, or backpacks. |
| Item Ideas: |
Notepad Pencil and Pencil Sharpener Pens Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils Construction Paper Stencils Books |
| Project: | Baby Supply Kit |
| Age: | Newborn to Toddlers |
| Why: | Babies are expensive! |
| Item Ideas: | Disposable diapers (age-appropriate) Baby Wipes Blanket Bibs Socks Bottles Washcloth |
| Project: | Paper Drive |
| Why: | All types of paper are needed for office and shelter use |
| Item Ideas: | Paper towels Toilet paper Napkins Kleenex Paper Plates Paper Cups Feminine Hygiene Products Diapers Baby Wipes Office Paper (white, colored, cardstock, holiday/special, stationary) Copy Paper (bright white) Pocket Folders File Folders (and hanging file folders) Binders |
| Project: | Administrative Assistance / Copying |
| Why: | At CAPSA we keep files on every individual client, which requires extensive photocopies and careful assembly. We have four different file types, and would provide you with a master copy of each. You would photocopy them and assemble them in file folders. |
| Project: | Hygiene Kits |
| Why: | When clients check in to the shelter without any personal belongings, they are in need of basic hygiene products such as toothbrushes, shampoo, and soap. Toiletries appropriate for adult men and women, teenage boys and girls, and small children stored in Ziploc bags or small tote bags are perfect to give to these clients. |
| Item Ideas: | (As appropriate for the gender/age you are preparing kits for) Feminine Hygiene Products Toothpaste Bars of Soap Shampoo & Conditioner Bottles (or a 2-in-1 shampoo plus conditioner) Razor(s) and Shaving Cream Deodorant Washcloth Bath Toy(s), Bath Bubbles, and/or Bath Paint Antibacterial Hand Soap and Refills Chapstick |
| Project: | Children's Support Group Kits |
| Why: | Children's Groups meet twice a week, and we always need supplies. |
| Item Ideas: | Bubbles Small Pillows (6-10 inches, solid colors to be decorated) Empty Film Canisters, Black or White Colored Index Cards Encouragement Stickers Wooden Craft Sticks, Craft Glue/Glue Sticks, and Beads |
| Project: | Home Kits |
| Why: | Sheltered clients who are leaving shelter and moving into a new home or apartment need lots of basic household items. Please assemble these items either in boxes or in tote bags. |
| Item Ideas: | Dish Soap/Dish Towels/Dish Cloths
Laundry Detergent/Fabric Softener/Fabric Sheets Over the Counter Medicines (like Tylenol or Advil), not close to expiration Toilet Paper Toothbrushes Paper Towels Cleaning Products (for Bathroom & Household) Twin Sheets/Blankets/Pillows Hair Care Products (in large bottles, not travel size containers) Diapers/Baby Wipes Towels Mop/Broom Antibacterial Hand Soap |
| Project: | Support Center/Office Kits |
| Why: | The office serves thousands of out-of-shelter clients every year, and the staff members are continually in need of supplies. |
| Item Ideas: | Cleaning Supplies/All-Purpose Cleaners Deodorizers Disinfecting Wipes/Sprays Dishwashing Soap/Dishwasher Detergent Laundry Soap Plastic Wrap Tin Foil Antibacterial Hand Soap and Refills Kitchen Trash Bags (all sizes) |
| Project: | Advocate Bags |
| Why: | The Mobile Crisis Team is a team of volunteers on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Advocate bags hold all the materials they need if they get called out to assist a victim. |
| Item Ideas: | Black Canvas Shoulder/Briefcase Bag with 2 or more large compartments Neutral Color Sweatpants and Sweatshirt (Large or XL) One-inch 3-ring binder with clear 3-ring plastic sheet covers Kleenex Travel Packs 2-3 Bottles of Water Small Toys, Activity Books, and Small Pack of Crayons or Markers Two Notepads: One Blank, One Lined Three Pens and Three Pencils Five Copies of Each Type of CAPSA Client File* CAPSA Fliers and Brochures* |
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*For this project, CAPSA will supply master copies of the files to be copied and put in each bag and brochures/fliers about CAPSA. Please contact Jenn Curtis at 435-753-2500 to arrange for these materials. It is VERY IMPORTANT that these bags be assembled with great attention to detail as they serve a very specific and crucial need. We desperately need advocate bags! | |
| Project: | Pampering Kits |
| Why: | Sometimes clients have days where nothing is going right – job leads are falling through, apartment or house hunting is going nowhere – and we want to cheer them up by giving them a pampering kit with a few items that are extra special, and of the highest quality. |
| Item Ideas: | Gift Bag (to assemble the kit in) – NOT Birthday- or Holiday-specific Fancy Lotion (Bath & Body Works, etc.) Fancy Soap/Body Wash Little Cute Bath Toys Washcloth Journal Gift Card (to a general store such as Wal-Mart) Small Sketching Pad with Colored Pencils or Watercolors Lip Gloss Small Perfume Vial(s) Perfumed Candles |