Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Needs List

Our Current Needs

We are so grateful to the Northwest Arkansas community for their generosity. It is only with community support that we can continue to provide a safe haven and loving care to the children who need us the most.

Please stay tuned to this page for updates to our Needs List and thank you for your support of the youth in our care!

Due to limited space, we are not able to accept the following at this time:
Used toys
Household goods

Walmart Needs List Registry

Items purchased from the Walmart Registry can be shipped directly to the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.

Kitchen Needs
Eggs
American cheese
Shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
Individually packaged snacks
Chicken strips, chicken nuggets
Bread
Pasta (spaghetti, egg noodles, elbow macaroni, rotini, etc.)
Instant mashed potatoes
Macaroni & Cheese
Rice/Wild Rice (bags)

Needs for Boys
Jeans – sizes 6 and 8
Underwear – sizes large (14/16) and medium (10/12)
Shorts – sizes 14-18

Needs for Teen Girls
Bras – all sizes
Jeans for teen girls – S-2XL
Wax strips – for hair removal
Swimsuits for teen girls – S-2XL
Women’s jacket – XXL
Women’s sweaters XL-2XL
Women’s leggings L-XL
Summer pajamas – M-XL
Jeans – sizes 11, 18-20
Women’s shoes – size 6.5

Needs for Teen Boys
Men’s athletic shorts – S-3XL
Men’s sweatpants/athletic pants – S-3XL
Swim trunks for teen boys – S-2XL
Men’s jacket – XL
Men’s shoes – size 13

Hair Care Needs
Hairbrushes
Hair conditioner (all hair types)
Products for natural, textured hair: edge control, curling cream, scalp oil, detangler, leave-in hair cream

Miscellaneous Needs
New or gently used suitcases and duffel bags
Ziptop bags – all sizes (sandwich, quart, gallon)
Reusable water bottles
Laundry soap
Body wash
XBox Series X controllers and games
Dryer sheets
Paper towels
Blue painter’s tape
13-gallon and 55-gallon trash bags
Toilet paper
Paper clips: regular & jumbo
Tab dividers with pockets
File folders
Folders with prongs and pockets
Hanging file folders
Legal Pads
Postage meter labels
Filament for 3D printer 1.75mm with print temperature 190-220 degrees

Drop Off Donations

Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter
860 NW Vaughn Road
Bentonville, AR 72713
Donations are accepted Monday through Friday between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Thank you so much for your support of our kids!

Demonte

Recently, we had an intelligent, hard-working young man in our care. His name was Demonte* and he was 15 years old. One day, he got upset in class and took off out of the building like he was planning to run away. This is not an uncommon reaction from the children in our care. Many […]

Read more about DemonteImpact stories

Meet Demonte

Recently, we had an intelligent, hard-working young man in our care. His name was Demonte* and he was 15 years old. One day, he got upset in class and took off out of the building like he was planning to run away. This is not an uncommon reaction from the children in our care. Many have been taught that their only two options, when circumstances are beyond their control, are fight or flight. This time, Demonte chose flight.
Lisa, one of our amazing Youth Care Specialists, followed after him and was calling out his name to stop him from walking away. Finally, he did stop and Lisa was able to convince him to return. Later that afternoon, when he was talking through what had happened, he said, “When I heard Mrs. Lisa saying my name, it made me realize that no one in my family or in my life would ever have cared if I ran away. The only reason I stopped is because I knew Mrs. Lisa must care about me because she came after me.”
This is just one story, among hundreds each year, that shows how much our youth care staff impact the children in our care – every day. It is an honor to be here for these kids when they need us the most.
*name and image changed to protect privacy

The world’s not perfect, but people are there to help you. The Shelter was a good environment and people wanted the best for me, and it made me want to love myself more. If I had not gone to the Shelter, I don’t think I’d be in school and I would probably still be in a home when I’m the adult when I shouldn’t have to be.

Lauren, age 16

I went to the on-site school which I liked because it gave me one-on-one time and that’s what I needed to help get my grades up and catch up on all my credits so I can graduate. I would like to thank all of the staff at the Shelter for making me and my son feel safe and taken care of.

Teresa, age 17

The staff treated me as if I were their family. They were always there for me and always reminded me of my worth.

Kiyasha, age 15