Donation Ideas for Russian Orphanages

Adoptive parents always ask agencies what they can bring to orphanages for the children. Our agency gave us several ideas but I got most of our ideas from one of my favorite parent sites for Russian and Ukrainian adoptions, FRUA. While I recommend talking to your agency about donations here is a list of some great things to take and that all orphanages probably need.

Clothing: long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, , easy up pants like sweat pants, warm sleepers in all sizes, pajamas, underwear, socks, sweaters, sweatshirts, onesies, hats, coats, gloves, shoes, boots, tights (warm wool tights preferred), and long underwear. Check out stores like Old Navy or online for super cheap clearance prices. Smaller stores will even give you HUGE discounts on bulk products.

Accessories: blankets, misc. fabric for sheets and curtains, copy paper, ink, pens, pencils, staples, paper clips, and misc. office supplies.

Medicine: Neosporin, bandaids, Over the Counter Medicine with translations, toothpaste, toothbrushes (head to the dentist for freebies), diapers, formula (head to the ped for freebies), diaper creme, lotions, rubbing alcohol wipes, etc.

Toys and books: Remember that there is a language difference and steer clear of books with English. Go for developmental toys, rattles, coloring books and crayons, or purchase a few larger items like a tricycle or a ride-on car for the toy room. Make sure that all toys are quality and don’t have parts that will fall off or are hazards.

Note: Most donations should be made on the first adoption trip and it is noted that almost all orphanages request new clothing with tags. There have been rumors that orphanage directors sell the new clothing and use the money for themselves but I would hate to believe that.