email MFD
Donate Now
Facebook Youtube Linkedin Instagram
MFD Staging area with equipment and infrastructure for testing.
Menu
MFD Staging area with equipment and infrastructure for testing.
Menu

Mittens for Detroit

Warming Hearts,
Two Hands at a Time

Mittens for Detroit, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that collects, purchases, and distributes new mittens and gloves to children, teens, and adults in need in Detroit, Michigan, and other underserved cities.

This year’s Community Collection Season runs from October 1st through January 10th. With growing and enthusiastic public and corporate support, nearly 375,000 pairs have been collected, purchased, and distributed since our start in 2010.

About 100 Community Collection Partners sponsor public and private collections, then hundreds of volunteers participate in The Big Sort, processing the pairs for pick up and distribution by our network of nearly 100 agencies, schools, shelters, veterans’ organizations, health facilities, food pantries, senior centers, and other community organizations.

Learn More About Us

Get Involved.
Make a Difference.

There are many ways for you to help bring warmth and comfort to cold hands in our Metro Detroit communities.

Get Involved!
MFD Staging Community Support Event

Collect Mittens and Gloves

Group of diverse people celebrating with boxes at MFD Staging event.

MFD at Work

MFD bigsort2

The Big Sort

Person holding a red Christmas heart-shaped ornament with snowflake patterns.

Handwarming Heroes Circle

Knitted mittens on pink background for Smitten with Mittens 2027 Calendar.

Purchase with Purpose

Child with curly hair and sunglasses holding a lemonade drawing at MFD Staging.

Kids Helping Mittens for Detroit

Donate Now

Increase your Impact

Join our Handwarming Heroes Circle

Since Handwarming Heroes Circle began in August 2018, our monthly heroes have donated more than $33,000 as of August 2026!

We very much appreciate our generous monthly donors – we hope you will join Team Mittens with a donation today! Thank you! (Sorry… Cape is not included!)

MFD Staging Handwarming Heroes logo with heart and mittens for Detroit.
Become a Handwarming Hero

Why Mittens Matter: From Our Community

Mittens for Detroit has been a tremendous support to the children and families we serve. The hats and mittens provided through their generosity help meet a basic need for families who are struggling financially, especially in today’s economy. By reducing the cost of winter essentials, they help relieve stress on caregivers and support family stability, an important protective factor in child abuse prevention.

Through our Holiday Shop, guardians are able to select new hats and mittens for their children to take home and wrap as gifts, preserving dignity and creating joyful holiday memories. Their support not only keeps children warm, but also brings comfort, hope, and peace of mind during the winter season.

One experience that will always stay with me involved a mother who came to our center with hats and mittens for her children but nothing for herself. As she sat in the lobby, it was clear she was trying to warm her cold hands. I quickly retrieved a pair of gloves donated by Mittens for Detroit and gave them to her. With tears in her eyes, she looked at me and said, “Thank you. No one ever takes care of me.”

That moment was a powerful reminder that Mittens for Detroit does more than provide winter gear. They help people feel seen, valued, and cared for. It is a memory I will always hold in my heart and a testament to the meaningful impact their generosity has on the families we serve.

Cindy Read | ​​​​​Manager-Consumer Engagement
The Children’s Center

GreeningOfDetroitThankYouNotes#12015 copy

Your generous donation of mittens and gloves has been an invaluable asset to our program for veterans transitioning out of homelessness. Many of our residents arrive at the shelter with very little, and braving the cold winter months to attend medical appointments, job interviews, or housing viewings can be a massive barrier. Providing high-quality winter gear ensures our veterans stay warm, protected, and respected as they work hard to rebuild their lives and move into permanent housing.

Raeda Dabaja | Chief Executive Officer Michigan Veterans Foundation

GreeningOfDetroitThankYouNotes#36

We are incredibly grateful to receive gloves from Mittens for Detroit to share with our clients through our clothing pantry at Catholic Charities Center for the Works of Mercy. Winters in our city can be especially harsh, and for many of the people we serve, particularly those experiencing homelessness, a warm pair of gloves can make a real difference in getting through the day. Gloves help protect against the cold, prevent injury, and allow our clients to safely travel by foot, bus, or wait outdoors for services during Detroit’s long winter months.

One client was shocked by the quality and beauty of the gloves. She said, " Wow, these are nice. They even have pink one. It might be silly but pink is my favorite color."

These donations help us meet urgent, real-life needs in our Detroit community while making the most of our limited resources.

Because of this generosity, our neighbors don’t have to choose between staying warm and affording essentials like food, transportation, or medicine.

We are deeply thankful for this support, which brings not only warmth, but also dignity, care, and hope to those we serve across the city.

Nicholas Herman | ​​​​​Director of the Center for the Works of Mercy,
VISTA Program Supervisor

GreeningOfDetroitThankYouNotes#22

I want to express my appreciation to Mittens for Detroit for the donation of mittens and gloves to the students of Dickinson East. My Fourth grade students were beyond excited to received a brand new paiir of mittens. Each student thoughtfully picked out a pair of mittens that they liked, that fit, and that matched their jacktets. Many of my students come to school without the proper winter attire. It is hard to see them go outside for recess when they do not have hats and glovers. Mittens for Detoirt provided them something to help them stay warm this winter.

Kristen Geving | ​​​​​Dickinson East Elementary,
Fourth Grade Teacher

GreeningOfDetroitThankYouNotes#5

Purchase with Purpose

Your purchases halp warm hearts and hands in Detroit every winter

Visit MFD's Purchase with Purpose Page

Support Our Partners and Our Community

Kroger community rewards logo with Kroger Plus card and community icons.
EBay for Charity logo with ribbon at MFD staging site.
PayPal Giving Fund logo on MFD Staging website.
United Way Logo Localization CMYK

Have Questions?

Get in Touch!

Contact MFD

Donating Mittens?

Here's what to know:

Learn More

Want to Keep Up with MFD?

Here's how:

Subscribe to the MFD eNewsletter