How to Donate Medical Equipment in San Francisco

How to Donate Medical Equipment in San Francisco
••• Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images

Slightly-used medical equipment and unopened boxes of supplies are in demand. Wheelchairs and mobility aids are expensive; donating your unwanted supplies helps needy seniors get equipment. Even small donations, such as first aid ointments or creams, are valued greatly. Choose the best option for you, based on convenience and the current needs of San Francisco charities that collect medical supplies. Obtain a tax receipt showing the fair market value of your donation, then deduct it during tax time.

Call the San Francisco Free Clinic (sffc.org) to arrange a donation. They accept medical supplies and medical services donations, with prior arrangement only. Supplies are used to treat free clinic patients.

Give medical equipment and medical supplies to Home CARES, a Bay Area organization that supports seniors and those with disabilities (homecares.org). Home CARES accepts San Francisco weekly donations on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.

Take the equipment to VIDA on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (vidausa.org). Needs include bandages, first aid equipment, surgical supplies, orthopedic supplies and mobility aids. VIDA sends equipment to Latin American countries.