Last updated: July 19, 2026
Bottom line
Delaware does not have one statewide program that gives free furniture to every single mother. Most help comes from local referrals, housing workers, churches, furniture ministries, thrift vouchers, low-cost stores, and community groups.
Start with Delaware 211 and ask for beds, furniture, household goods, move-in kits, thrift vouchers, and delivery help near your ZIP code. If you are moving out of shelter or homelessness, ask your case manager to make referrals. ASMOM’s furniture help guide explains the wider national help path.
If you need help today
- Immediate danger: Call 911.
- No safe place to sleep: Call or text Centralized Intake at 1-833-FIND-BED, or 1-833-346-3233. The Centralized Intake page says service hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Emergency shelter help: The state’s emergency housing page says you can call 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or visit a State Service Center for help.
- Domestic violence: Use Delaware’s 24-hour hotline list for confidential county contacts. Use a safer device if someone may watch your phone or browser.
- Food, health, or cash help: Use Delaware ASSIST to check or apply for benefits while you look for furniture.
This guide is for general information. It cannot promise shelter, furniture, delivery, approval, or a set wait time.
Where to start
Free furniture is often not a walk-in service. Some groups only help people who are referred by a shelter, housing program, school, clinic, church, or social service worker.
If you have housing
Call 211. Ask for furniture, beds, linens, cookware, household goods, thrift vouchers, and delivery help. Give your ZIP code and county.
If you are moving in
Ask your shelter or housing worker for a referral letter. List the items you need first, such as beds, a table, dishes, pots, towels, and sheets.
If you have a baby
Ask a nurse, WIC worker, clinic, hospital, or social worker about a safe crib and diaper help. Do not rely on an old crib with missing parts.
If the furniture need is part of a larger housing problem, use ASMOM’s Delaware housing guide and emergency help guide at the same time.
Quick reference table
| Your need | Best first step | What to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beds, couch, table, dishes | Delaware 211 | Furniture bank, voucher, move-in kit, delivery | Stock changes often. |
| Moving out of shelter | Case manager | Referral letter and furniture ministry | Some programs do not take self-referrals. |
| No safe place tonight | Centralized Intake | Shelter opening and housing referral | This is shelter help, not a furniture store. |
| No safe crib | Nurse or social worker | Cribs for Kids referral | Individuals cannot self-refer. |
| Diapers and wipes | Diaper bank or health plan | Current supply, rules, and pickup | Amounts and supply can change. |
| Low-cost furniture | ReStore or Goodwill | Current stock, holds, and delivery | These are usually paid options. |
Main Delaware furniture and household options
Delaware 211
What it helps with: Delaware 211 connects people with local health and human service programs. Ask for furniture, mattresses, household goods, bedding, kitchen items, thrift vouchers, move-in kits, and transportation or delivery help.
Who may qualify: Rules depend on the agency that receives the referral. Some groups use income, county, family size, housing status, or a case manager referral.
How to start: Dial 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or use its online search. Ask for more than one option because one program may be full or out of stock.
Reality check: A 211 referral is not an approval. Call the referred agency before arranging a ride or truck.
State Service Centers
What they help with: Delaware State Service Centers help people apply for benefits, meet with case workers, and connect with local resources. They may know about emergency assistance, housing partners, or community resource help.
Who may qualify: Each service has its own rules. A center may screen your household or send you to another office.
How to start: Find the closest center and explain the full problem. Say whether you are leaving shelter, moving into a new unit, replacing items after a fire, or caring for children without beds.
Reality check: A State Service Center is not a furniture warehouse. Its main value may be a referral, benefit application, or case worker contact.
New Life Furnishings
What it helps with: Westminster Presbyterian Church says its New Life Furnishings program provides furniture and household goods to people moving from homelessness to independent living.
Who may qualify: The program is aimed at people moving from homelessness to independent housing. Its public page does not list a household application.
How to start: Ask your shelter, rehousing worker, social worker, or partner agency whether it can make a referral.
Reality check: Do not arrive without a referral. Item choices depend on donations, space, and current program capacity.
Love INC of Mid-Delmarva
What it helps with: Love INC’s Gap Ministries page lists clothing, household supplies, dignity supplies, and limited furniture. It mainly serves the Mid-Delmarva and Sussex County area.
Who may qualify: Service area and intake rules apply. Help may be routed through local churches or community partners.
How to start: Use the Love INC intake page or call 302-629-7050. Ask whether furniture, baby pantry items, delivery, or a church referral is available.
Reality check: Furniture is limited. Ask what is open now and what backup programs serve your ZIP code.
Catholic Charities Basic Needs
What it helps with: The Basic Needs program offers case management, budgeting help, referrals, and support for households facing a financial crisis.
Who may qualify: The program focuses on low-income households whose housing may be at risk. Staff may ask for income, address, household, and crisis documents.
How to start: Contact Catholic Charities and ask whether a case worker can screen you for furniture, thrift vouchers, diapers, food, rent, or utility referrals.
Reality check: A case worker may refer you elsewhere. Voucher and item availability depends on funding and current partnerships.
Low-cost stores
What they help with: Habitat New Castle ReStores sell new and used home items in Prices Corner and Middletown. Goodwill locations include stores around Delaware, a Wilmington HomeStore, and a New Castle outlet.
Who may qualify: These stores are open to the public. You do not need a benefit case, but items are usually not free.
How to start: Call before you go. Ask about beds, dressers, tables, couches, appliances, housewares, delivery, holds, and discounts.
Reality check: Stock changes daily. Do not pay for a truck until the store confirms the item and pickup rules.
Salvation Army and Friendship House
What they help with: Salvation Army Delaware has corps in Dover, Seaford, and Wilmington. Services vary by place and funding. Friendship House clothing help focuses on clothing and shoes, which may free money for furniture needs.
Who may qualify: Local rules apply. Some services need an intake, referral, proof of need, or proof of address.
How to start: Call the closest office and ask what family services are open this month. Be clear that you need household goods, clothing, uniforms, or a furniture referral.
Reality check: Do not assume every office has furniture vouchers. Ask for another local contact if it does not.
Cribs, diapers, and baby items
Baby sleep products need extra care. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says babies should sleep on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, or play yard with only a fitted sheet. Check the crib safety guide and the recall search before using donated gear.
Delaware Cribs for Kids
Delaware’s Cribs for Kids program provides safe sleep education and a safe crib for families in need. The state says individuals cannot self-refer. A professional, such as a nurse or social worker, must send the referral.
Ask your prenatal clinic, hospital, WIC office, home visitor, pediatric office, or social worker to check whether you fit the program. ASMOM’s Delaware baby gear guide covers more baby items.
Postpartum Medicaid support
Delaware’s current Medicaid waiver page says the Postpartum Nutrition Supports Initiative may cover home-delivered meals or a shelf-stable food box, up to 80 diapers a week, and one pack of wipes during the first 12 weeks after birth for postpartum beneficiaries in the pilot. Ask your Medicaid plan or provider whether the benefit applies to you.
For coverage questions, use ASMOM’s Delaware health guide as a next step.
WIC and diaper help
Delaware WIC helps eligible pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children with food, nutrition support, breastfeeding help, and referrals. WIC is not a furniture program, but staff may know local baby supply resources.
The Catholic Charities Diaper Bank provides monthly diaper distributions to eligible Delaware families, depending on supply. Its current guidelines ask for photo ID, proof of income, proof that you care for the child, and Delaware residency.
ASMOM’s Delaware WIC guide gives more help with the state program.
Where to look by county
| County | First calls | Possible next stops | Best question |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | 211, State Service Center, case manager | New Life Furnishings, ReStore, Goodwill, Salvation Army | “Who can refer me for furniture after move-in?” |
| Kent | 211, State Service Center, school worker | Dover charities, Goodwill, Salvation Army | “Is there a bed, voucher, or church closet near Dover?” |
| Sussex | 211, Love INC, State Service Center | Church partners, baby pantry, thrift stores | “Is limited furniture or household supply help open now?” |
Use ASMOM’s Delaware family help page when you need a wider list of state programs.
Documents and details to gather
You may not need every item. Ask the agency what it accepts before you send private records. ASMOM’s application documents list can help you organize copies.
| Item | Why it may help | Simple backup |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | Shows who is asking | Ask what other ID is accepted. |
| Proof of address | Shows county and service area | Lease, shelter letter, or official mail |
| Move-in proof | Shows a new housing need | Lease, key letter, or case worker note |
| Income or benefit proof | May show financial need | Pay stub, award letter, or no-income statement |
| Children’s details | Helps match beds and supplies | Names, ages, and bed sizes needed |
| Needs list | Keeps the request clear | Rank urgent items from first to last |
| Referral contact | Some programs need a worker | Name, agency, phone, and email |
| Pickup plan | Shows how items will move | Vehicle size and available days |
Safety checks for donated items
- Mattresses: Check for tears, stains, odors, mold, insects, and missing labels. Ask where the mattress was stored.
- Upholstered furniture: Look closely at seams, cushions, and the frame for pests or damage.
- Cribs: Do not use a recalled crib, a crib with missing parts, or a mattress that does not fit well.
- Car seats: Ask a certified child passenger safety program before using a secondhand seat. A seat may be expired, recalled, or damaged in a crash.
- Dressers: Use wall anchors when possible to lower tip-over risk.
- Online pickups: Do not share sensitive records or your full family story. Meet safely and bring another adult when possible.
What to do if help is denied or delayed
Ask for the exact reason. The answer may be no because the program is out of stock, outside your county, missing a document, closed to self-referrals, or limited to people moving from homelessness.
- Ask when to call again.
- Ask whether a case manager referral would change the answer.
- Ask for two other agencies.
- Ask whether the program has beds, household goods, or vouchers even if it has no large furniture.
- Write down the date, worker’s name, and next step.
ASMOM’s denied help guide explains how to handle missing papers, closed cases, and unanswered calls.
Do not rely on old advice about Delaware’s Housing Stability Program. The Delaware State Housing Authority says the HSP portal closed on May 7, 2026. If you face eviction or loss of a housing subsidy, use the Eviction Defense Project for current legal and housing help.
Phone scripts you can use
Calling 211
“Hi, I live in ZIP code _____. I need beds and basic household items for my children. Can you check furniture banks, thrift vouchers, move-in kits, household goods, and programs that take referrals?”
Calling a case manager
“I am moving into housing and do not have beds, linens, dishes, or a table. Can your agency refer me to a furniture program or write a letter that explains my move-in need?”
Calling a store
“Before I arrange a ride, do you have low-cost beds, dressers, tables, or kitchen items today? Can you hold an item, and do you offer delivery or partner vouchers?”
Calling about baby items
“I am pregnant or caring for a baby and do not have a safe crib or enough diapers. Can you help with a Cribs for Kids referral, WIC referral, diaper bank, or postpartum Medicaid benefit?”
Backup options when free furniture is not available
- Check Freecycle for local free items, but inspect each item before taking it home.
- Use the Buy Nothing Project to ask neighbors for a short list of safe household goods.
- Ask a school social worker, church, clinic, WIC office, or home visitor about a local closet or pantry.
- Ask your landlord whether safe items left by a former tenant can be legally released to you.
- Ask for smaller basics first. Sheets, towels, dishes, cookware, lamps, and cleaning supplies are easier to find than a full furniture set.
- Post a short request without private details: “Parent setting up an apartment. Need two twin beds, sheets, cookware, and a small table. Can pick up Saturday.”
Resumen en español
Delaware no tiene un solo programa estatal que dé muebles gratis a todas las madres solteras. Llame al 211 y pida ayuda para camas, muebles, artículos del hogar, cupones de tiendas y kits para mudanza. Si sale de un refugio, pida a su trabajador social una referencia. Si no tiene un lugar seguro para dormir, llame o mande texto al 1-833-346-3233. Para una cuna segura, pida a una enfermera, clínica, WIC o trabajador social una referencia a Cribs for Kids.
FAQ
Does Delaware have a statewide free furniture program?
No. Delaware does not have one statewide furniture program for every single mother. Help is local and may come through 211, case managers, furniture ministries, thrift vouchers, churches, and community groups.
Can I get a free bed or mattress in Delaware?
Possibly, but stock is limited. Call 211 and ask for beds, mattresses, furniture banks, thrift vouchers, move-in kits, and programs that serve your ZIP code.
Can I get a free crib in Delaware?
Possibly. Delaware Cribs for Kids provides safe sleep education and a safe crib for families in need, but individuals cannot self-refer. Ask a nurse, clinic, hospital, WIC worker, or social worker to send a referral.
What if I need furniture after leaving shelter?
Ask your shelter or rehousing case manager for a referral letter. Some furniture programs focus on people moving from homelessness into stable housing and may require an agency referral.
Will a furniture program deliver items?
Delivery depends on the program, item, distance, volunteers, and funding. Ask about delivery before accepting an item, and do not rent a truck until pickup details are confirmed.
What should I do if no program has furniture?
Ask when to call again, request two backup referrals, check low-cost stores, and ask for smaller household basics first. Keep trying more than one path because donations and stock change often.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified July 19, 2026, next review October 19, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.