Every year, IRC Youth Programs support 450 students across the greater Seattle region. Our youth programs help students to: better understand US school systems as for some it will be their first time learning at a US school, meet their academic goals, and build confidence. The vision and mission of IRC Youth Programs in Washington is for refugee and immigrant youth to have the skills and resources necessary to achieve academic success and pursue a future of opportunity.  You can support youth in getting all the essential school supplies they need to have a successful 2024-2025 academic year! 

 

How to participate

Gather together colleagues, family, members of your faith community, or family and run a donation drive or purchase from either our elementary or secondary education Amazon wishlists. Donors can either purchase school supplies in bulk or individually OR purchase a backpack and fill it with the appropriate school supplies (see school supply list below). If donating as an individual, we ask you to consider purchasing fewer items but in bulk, instead of more singular items--this helps us maintain equity when we provide our young clients these items.

If you are interested in running a drive with a large group, consider if you would like to make a physical backpack stuffing event. With a monetary donation to our unrestricted funding, IRC staff may be able to provide a personal orientation to how IRC serves forcibly displaced populations in the Puget Sound and other ways to get involved.

Purchases from our Amazon wishlists will automatically be delivered to our warehouse located at 2365 S 200th St SeaTac, WA 98198. You can also purchase school supplies from other retail stores and ship directly to our warehouse address or drop off in-person during IRC business hours (M-F, 9-5pm).  ALL SCHOOL SUPPLIES MUST BE BRAND NEW AND NEVER USED. Our goal for the 2024-2025 academic year is to collect about 300 backpacks worth of school supplies!

Scroll down to see the school supplies we are looking for. There are two separate lists: elementary and secondary. 

Have questions? Email [email protected] or check out these FAQs.

 

FAQs

Can I donate used items?

No. We ask that all items are in brand new condition. Lightly used graphing calculators are an exception.

When is the deadline to deliver donations?

Ideally by the end of September as that is around the time the 2024-2025 school year starts, however, we do accept donations all year long!

Where can I ship my donations?

International Rescue Committee Seattle warehouse located at 2365 S 200th St. SeaTac, WA 98198. 

Can I drop off donations in person?

Please reach out to [email protected] to schedule a drop-off at the IRC warehouse in SeaTac, WA. 

Can I add on items?

Please email [email protected] for any specific donation questions - but additional pencils, pens, or supplies are always welcome and will be shared with students throughout the school year.  

Are the items I donate tax deductible?

Yes. The IRC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and both financial and in-kind donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. Please include an itemized list of donations with your shipment, or email the list to IRC after you've delivered your items. IRC will issue you an acknowledgement for tax purposes. Donors are responsible for assigning a value to in-kind donations for tax purposes. Save those receipts! While not required, it is very helpful if you also provide IRC with copies of your receipts. This allows IRC to maintain accurate documentation of donations received by clients, a requirement of many of our government-funded programs. 

Have additional questions?

Email [email protected]for more information!