Shelter Network of San Mateo County

I am on the other side of this poverty pimp network! Being homeless is a physical and mental challenge in itself. Being homeless and finding ZERO help adds to that mental anguish
about 500%. What these service providers do is collect donations, squander those donations
on administrative costs and HELP only a few. These few, we street people call «the chosen ones» get help because they become little imps who have no concern for any of their peers,
and have lost their self worth long ago.
For the thousands of actual «needy» homeless people, Innvision and Shelter network is not and NEVER will be a solution. These self serving mongrels had several chances to help me and my wife find a way out of homelessness, but instead told us point blank: «you’re too normal» In other words, we did not «fit» their description of «homelessness».
These type of places do more harm than good and need to be burned down to the ground.
They are an insult to humanity and a scourge to the society from which they came.

This is not a profit center for anybody; it’s a legitimate service organization that makes a real impact on homelessness issues in the local area. I feel FAR better making donations here rather than to the increasingly questionable («What the hell do they actually do?») Goodwill organization.

I echo the other reviewer’s concerns about Goodwill. We’re very happy to have found such a worthwhile alternative for our donations. The Shelter Network is a great organization that does an impressive job of helping to support families in need of shelter.

I have been searching for something other than Goodwill for awhile now (given how terribly they treat their employees and how rich their CEO is) and thankfully found First Step for Families (an InnVision shelter network in San Mateo). InnVision provides temporary housing for homeless families and individuals in the community and works to support them to become self-​sufficient. The donations go directly to individuals living at the InnVision facilities — in San Mateo, the shelter is geared towards families. I’m so grateful that I have found a place to donate our items, knowing that they will have a direct and lasting impact on individuals in the San Mateo community. I would highly recommend!

Kids grow fast, and as they do, clutter accumulates. They’ve outgrown some clothing and now you need that drawer or closet space for the stuff that fits.
Perhaps you have a box of new diapers you never got to use. I found a place where you can bring all this stuff for a tax-​deductible donation (totally convenient since the two Peninsula locations listed below are available for drop-​off ²⁴⁄₇). I like that it’s a non-​religious organization, and everything goes directly to homeless families, in effort to support them to become self-​sufficient again
This is a great place to donate clothing (for men, women, and children), diapers, bedding, towels, toys, and other items:
Drop-​off locations:
325 Villa Terrace
San Mateo, CA 94 401
(650) 340‑8814
1580 Maple St.
Redwood City, CA 94 063
(650) 364‑1150
Office number:
(650) 685‑5880
They are especially excited to receive new diapers and wipes. I know we’ve got to go through our garage and make another run to this place.
Time to clean out those closets!