CALAIS & DUNKIRK: MOST NEEDED ITEMS

Get the latest needs list in full so you know what to bring to Calais.

If you are bringing donations to our Calais warehouse, please make sure to register here first!

Below is our a list of our current most needed items in Calais. If you are going to bring donations to the warehouse, please email calaisdonations@helprefugees.org to let us know beforehand.

NOVEMBER 2018

Priority Items – we are in desperate need of:

    • Trainers and walking boots (sizes 40-43)
    • Hats, gloves and hand-warmers. 
    • Men’s underwear (boxers, only new please – small, medium and large) and socks (preferably thin)
    • Practical warm jackets and waterproofs 
    • Tents and tarpaulins
    • Sleeping bags and blankets
    • Rain ponchos
    • Mobile phones with chargers (only fully functioning please)

Notes on specific items:

  • Generally, darker colours are preferable.
  • Shoes: only sturdy boots, waterproof boots and trainers. We are not taking wellies or office shoes.
  • Blankets: Blankets have to be large enough to cover a full-grown man. Blankets that are any smaller cannot be distributed.

OTHER NEEDS:

  • Thermal layers
  • Men’s joggers and jeans (small and medium)
  • Small backpacks/ drawstring bags
  • Roll mats
  • Jumpers and hoodies (small and medium)
  • Belts (men’s)
  • Emergency foil blankets

 

  • Hygiene:
  • Body Lotion (especially lotion for sensitive skin)
  • Toothpaste
  • Saline Solution/Eye wash
  • Men’s disposable razors
  • Lip balm
  • Packs of tissues
  • Toilet paper
  • Wet wipes
  • Spray deodorant (men’s)
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Toothbrushes
  • Shaving foam
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Hair oil
  • Talcum powder
  • Nappies (all sizes)
  • Condoms

Miscellaneous

  • Disposable cups (for distributing hot drinks)
  • French Lyca SIM cards
  • UK to EU adaptors (to use UK chargers in France)
  • Bin bags
  • Pop-up gazebo (but NO poles)
  • Bags for life

Food

Please see our friends at Refugee Community Kitchen’s needs list for the full list of most food items.

Women’s and Children’s Clothing

Please see our friends at The Refugee Women’s Center’s needs list for an up to date list on which items they currently need. Except for the items mentioned in the needs list, we are currently sufficiently stocked up for quite some time with women and children’s items.

Warehouse and Office Needs:

  • Strong eco-friendly/biodegradable bin bags
  • Orange tape
  • Brown parcel tape
  • Permanent markers

SORTING GUIDELINES:

Please note that your donations MUST be sorted – if any items are damaged, soiled or inappropriate for distribution, they will create an enormous amount of waste, which delays vital aid reaching the refugees.

Items we cannot currently accept:

  • Items that are damaged/soiled
  • XL clothing
  • Ski suits/salopettes
  • Business attire
  • Camouflage print items
  • Hand-knitted items
  • Items containing symbols that are satanic, religious, or have references to sex/drugs/alcohol
  • Very bright or fluorescent clothing

We kindly ask that you sort all items and label them by:

  • Gender
  • Size (S/M/L)
  • Type (e.g. jumpers, coats, trainers)

To efficiently sort your donations, please separate (pack and label) them into the above categories. For instance: men’s M jumpers separate from men’s S jumpers; women’s size 39 boots separate from women’s size 40 trainers; waterproof coats separate from non-waterproof coats.

Thank you in advance! This process saves our incredibly hard-working warehouse volunteers so much time and allows us to get the donations to the refugees considerably more quickly and more efficiently. If you need more guidelines on sorting, or have any other questions, please email our Calais Donations Coordinator and they will be happy to help.

If you would prefer to make a donation, please donate here.

If you wish to send Emergency Supplies by post, please consider our Amazon wishlist or our wishlist at http://www.leisurefayre.com, where we have secured a generous 20% discount and fast postage with the distributor, who sends them directly to us as soon as possible!

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