Donation Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in donating to Bayhealth! Please follow the guidelines below for donating new and handmade items. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please click here. For the most up to date listing of needs visit our Amazon Wishlist.

New and Handmade Items

Donations of new and handmade items help our patients cope and heal during a stay in the hospital. But, since hospitalized people have special health needs, we must be extra careful with the types of donations we accept.

Also, while we provide service to people of all ages, the majority of our patients are adults. With that in mind, please review the following donation guidelines.

We Accept

• Handmade items
• New toys and games that do not have choking hazards
• New books and coloring books

Our Top Needs

• Toys and activities
  • Crosswords, word searches and sudokus
  • Crayons (8 or 12 packs)
  • Colored pencils
  • Coloring books for children and teens/young adults
  • Board books for little ones
• Handmade items
  • Baby blankets
  • Baby Hats
  • Adult lap blankets
  • Small pillows for lumbar support
  • Standard pillowcases (18"x10")
  • Stuffed bears

We Cannot Accept

• Adult Hats (we have many groups already donating hats)
• Pre-loved toys (all toys and gifts must be newly purchased)
• Stuffed toys from vending machines or carnivals
• Food and/or candy
• Latex balloons (or anything containing latex)
• Toys or activities with violent or insensitive themes
• Old books and magazines that have been stored away for a long time in an attic, garage or basement

Safety Requirements

• Avoid exposing any handmade or cloth items to strong odors such as smoke, moth balls, perfumes and/or colognes and pet hair. We cannot use an item with a strong odor
• Pre-wash the material of any handmade item
• Remove all sewing pins and needles
• Use clean hands when working on the project
• Avoid working on the project when you are ill
• Do not pin notes on the items
• Do not sew on accessories like buttons and bows as they could detach and pose a choking hazard

How to Deliver a Donation

You can drop off donations any day of the week. The Visitors Centers in the main lobby of both hospitals accept donations between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. If you have additional questions regarding donations, please call Volunteer Services at 302-744-7153 (Kent Campus) or 302-430-5621 (Sussex Campus).