If you are interested in giving back to the patients of Boston Medical Center, we offer you the opportunity to make an in-kind donation. 

Gifts That Matter Campaign

As the holiday season approaches, we are grateful for the overwhelming interest  to make in-kind donations to BMC programs and patients. The "Gifts That Matter" campaign is a way for departments across our health system to brighten the season for many of our patients and families. Below is a list of BMC programs and departments that have expressed interest in being considered for your 2023 holiday donation.

The Autism Program

The Autism Program at Boston Medical Center assists and empowers autistic individuals and their families through direct patient support, provider education, and community-based outreach. The Autism Program strives to meet the needs of the community in Boston and its surrounding areas in a culturally competent manner by offering high-quality and comprehensive care to all. Visit the Autism Program’s 2023 Holiday Wish List here.

Contact: Autismprogram@bmc.org

Immigrant Health Center & Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights

The BMC Immigrant Health Center is a hospital-based medical home that provides coordinated primary care, behavioral health care, medical specialty care, and a range of social services for BMC patients who are refugees, asylum seekers, or immigrant patients with complex medical and social needs. The Immigrant Health Center collaborates with partners across the hospital, including the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR), to coordinate services that meet the comprehensive health and social needs of our patients and help them navigate our complex medical system.

BCRHHR firmly recognizes the importance of providing care to the whole person and reaches out to refugee communities and torture survivors to offer a place of safety and trust. BCRHHR provides comprehensive case management and care to approx. 450 individuals from over 40 countries. Visit the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center Wish List for their 2023 needs.

Contact: Casey Waskiewicz (Casey.Waskiewicz@bmc.org; 617-414-7402)

Child Life Program

The Child Life Program at Boston Medical Center helps children and families manage the stresses associated with hospitalization and illness. Whether a child is going to a doctor’s appointment, having surgery, staying overnight in the hospital, or being treated in the Emergency Department, a child life specialist is available to help alleviate the stressors associated with a child’s healthcare experience. Visit the Child Life Program's Wish List for a complete list of their needs.

Contact: Molly Duggan (Molly.Duggan@bmc.org; 617-414-7346)

Child Witness to Violence Program

The Child Witness to Violence Project (CWVP) provides free, specialized counseling, advocacy, and outreach services that focus on young children, from birth to 8 years old, who have been exposed to domestic violence, community violence, or other trauma-related events. This year has been particularly challenging for many CWVP families due to the rising cost of basic needs. All donations will be used to support families in providing a wonderful holiday season for their children. Visit the Child Witness to Violence Program's Wish List to find out more.

Contact: Ashley Schiffmiller (Ashley.Schiffmiller@bmc.org; 617-414-7426)

Domestic Violence Program

The Domestic Violence Program, available to anyone seeking information or help with domestic violence, is a resource for patients, employees, and community members. Visit the Domestic Violence Program's Wish List for a complete list of their needs.

Contact: Jane Holmes (Jane.Holmes@bmc.org; 617-414-5410)

Elders Living at Home Program (ELAHP)

The Living Well at Home Program provides intensive housing casework to homeless and at-risk older adults and individuals with complex medical needs. ELAHP’s goal is to help these individuals transition to and maintain safe affordable permanent housing, and improve their health and well-being. ELAHP is requesting gift card donations from Target, CVS, Walgreens, Stop & Shop, and Amazon which allow patients to purchase essential items as they transition to housing, or when emergencies arise.

  • Mailing Address:
    Liseimy Mateo, Living Well at Home
    960 Mass Ave, Floor 3, Boston MA 02118

Contact: Liseimy Mateo (Liseimy.Mateo@bmc.org; 857-523-0096)

Good Grief 

The Good Grief program provides therapy and supportive services to children and their families after they have experienced a significant loss, like the death of a loved one, divorce, or separation from an important person. The holidays can be especially challenging for grieving families – their loss may be amplified by a season that is focused on family and friends. Caregivers are coping with the added pressures of providing not only the essentials, but gifts for their children, at a time when resources can be tight. Our families are extremely grateful for this drive, which alleviates some of the stress of the season and brings cheer at a needed time. Visit the Good Grief Wish List for a complete list of their needs.

Contact: Laura Ochoa (Laura.Ochoa@bmc.org; 617-414-4005)

Project ASSERT & Rapid ACCESS

Project ASSERT provides screenings and brief intervention to patients in the Emergency Department at BMC. Project ASSERT is a referral-to-treatment program for patients with Substance Use Disorder and refers them to outpatient services at BMC, the Grayken Center for Addiction, and outside resources.

Rapid ACCESS aims to connect patients with substance use disorders to evidence-based treatments at BMC. The Recovery Coaches will provide support to patients throughout their recovery, and meet patients where they are.

Click here for Project ASSERT’s and Rapid ACCESS’s 2023 Holiday Wish List.

Contact: Yenipher Mendez (Yenipher.Mendez@bmc.org; 617-414-4399 or 617-638-5500)

Project RESPECT

Project RESPECT, a medical and recovery home for birthing people with a history of substance use disorder, allows them to receive wrap-around medical and behavioral health care. Project RESPECT cares for more than 200 individuals and families each year to support long-term recovery. Project RESPECT’s 2023 Wish List is available here.

Contact: Caitlin Clark (Caitlin.Clark@bmc.org; 617-414-5983)

Project TRUST

Project TRUST’s goal is to help anyone who is actively struggling with substance use, access comprehensive and compassionate care without judgment. Project TRUST provides addiction treatment resources, harm reduction education and supplies, and navigation to an array of medical services including primary care and urgent care services. Click here to view their current program needs.

Contact: Project TRUST (ProjectTRUST@bmc.org; 617-680-1828)

Psychiatry Department

Resource Social Workers (RSW) assist clients who face a disability, life-threatening diseases, or social problems, such as inadequate housing, unemployment, or substance abuse. RSW also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child or spousal abuse. RSW collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurse practitioners to support patients and their families in meeting social determinants of health needed to positively impact their mental health outcomes, support treatment adherence, and promote overall quality of life for the individual's experiencing psychosis and their families.

See here for the department’s 2023 Wish List:

  • Winter Coat (Sizes M, L, XL, XXL)
  • Socks
  • Winter Hats/Gloves
  • Visa Gift Cards ($25, $50) 

Donations can be dropped off on Floor 8 of the Dowling building (850 Harrison Ave)

Contact: Maud Paul-Honore (Maud.Paul-Honore@bmc.org; 617-417-0824)

Violence Intervention Advocacy Program

VIAP helps guide victims of community violence through recovery from physical and emotional trauma. Items donated will help people with education and job training programs, life skills training (financial literacy and effective communication), recreational and wellness programs. Donations will also support at school meetings (individual education plan/IEP and tutoring).

See the full list of VIAP needs below and contact Elizabeth Dugan for donation coordination.

  • Socks: generic, white (Medium or Large)
  • Sweatpants: Men’s Small, Med, Large, XL
  • Sweatshirts: Men’s S, Med, Large, XL
  • Tee Shirts: Men’s Small, Med, Large, XL
  • Winter Hats: Adult Men’s and Ladies’
  • Winter Gloves: Adult Men’s and Ladies’
  • Board/Card Games: Any games like Checkers, Connect 4, Monopoly, Chess, Clue, Risk, Scrabble, Battleship, Candy Land, Operation, Decks of Cards, Uno, Mousetrap, Trivial Pursuit, and Twister
  • Stop and Shop Gift Cards

Contact: Elizabeth Dugan (Elizabeth.Dugan@bmc.org; 617-414-4926)

Volunteer Services

The Volunteer Services Department at BMC is dedicated to placing volunteers across the hospital, such as in ambulatory waiting rooms, who offer distraction activities to those who are waiting.  

Volunteer Services has begun an Amazon Wish List, and will be looking for the following:

  • Children’s books – in Spanish or Haitian Creole
  • Adult nooks – in Spanish or Haitian Creole
  • Fidget toys (single use)
  • Crayons
  • Activity books (word searches, coloring) – in English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole

Contact: Volunteer Services (Volunteer.Services@bmc.org; 617-414-5122)