FAQ | Mercy Warehouse

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!

Do you accept...?

Pianos, organs, or other musical instruments? Yes!
Exercise equipment like treadmills or stationary bikes? Yes!
Bed frames? Metal bed frames and headboards/footboards are great donations! We cannot accept mattresses and boxsprings.
Sofabeds or pullout sleepers? Yes, we can accept these and the mattresses they come with. We cannot accept standard mattresses. We can also accept futons as this is not a traditional bed mattress.
Furniture that is damaged? This is where we politely ask you to please use your best judgement. We do have to throw away a lot of soiled and broken furniture. This costs us money. If you are donating to help our cause, we ask that you objectively evaluate your items and if you would be willing to pay to have that item in your home. We do not clean or repair items. If the fix is easy and would lead to an item looking like new, then we would likely be happy to take it. If it's torn, stained, peeling, scratched deeply, or warped, we would rather not have it dropped off. Your home waste removal company likely provides free bulk item pick up 4-5 times per year. Give them a call and set up a pick up from your curb. Here are links to the common local waste companies for your convenience: Waste Management and CR&R. Thank you!
Unruly children? Just checking to see if you are paying attention. But actually, we do accept children with an adult chaperone for volunteer work! See below or click Get Involved for more details.
Electronics? Yes, we can accept any working electronic device except CRT (Tube) Televisions. These are the old style box sets, very heavy with a curved glass front. Otherwise, we can take everything from flat screen televisions and old laptops to garden equipment and kitchen appliances in clean and working order.
Renovation leftovers like flooring or sinks? We can accept full (or nearly full) boxes of flooring tiles or hardwood/laminate, large rolls of carpet remnant (unused), vanities, mirrors, closet doors, interior doors, etc. Ideally, we would like these items in new or like-new condition and with all parts.
Broken antiques? This is a grey area where we politely ask again that you objectively evaluate the value of your item. Some antique or vintage pieces are still quite valuable even with damage or missing pieces. If this is the case for your item, we'd be happy to accept it. If your item has a story, or you already know the value of it, feel free to attach a note to explain what it is and what you estimate the value to be. This can help us to price it appropriately.

Volunteer questions...

Can I get hours for my school community service requirement? Yes! Please let us know that you will need verification for your hours and we will have you sign in and out at the front with a manager.
Do you provide opportunities for court ordered community service hours? Yes! Please let us know that your hours need to be verified and we will have you sign in and out at the front with a manager.
Do you have an age limit for volunteers? We do not! We happily accept adults and children of all ages to volunteer. Minors under 18 will require the signature of a parent or legal guardian on their volunteer application. Anyone under age 14 will need an adult 25 years old or over to accompany them.
Do I need an appointment to get started? It is preferred that you schedule a day and time to come in for orientation. Please see our Volunteer Website to create your account and schedule your orientation. If you drop in, we may be able to start you right away if one of our volunteer managers is available, but we may have to ask you to return at another time if we are occupied. If you have a group of more than 4 people, you must email us to set up an appointment.
What kinds of help does the Mercy Warehouse need? We have many needs. Some are consistently available such as picking up clothing that is falling off of hangers, or new clothing items needing to go on hangers. We also always need people walking the aisles and moving items back to the area they are supposed to be in. We need heavy lifters that can move furniture and we need light duty help organizing small items, merchandising dishes or small home decor. We have small jobs for people that have a quick hour once in a while to help us out and we have more involved jobs that require a bit more training and commitment like sorting clothing or incoming goods. We are always looking for people that have niche knowledge about special items like antiques, glassware, or special collectors items.
What if I have a group I would like to bring in, such as a Scout troop, Youth group, or team to come in? We would love to set you up with a day and time in advance so that we have a task appropriate for larger groups prepared for you. Please email us to set this up.