Nonprofit · Drop-off · Free
Loja Social Dona Ajuda
A charity shop in the old Mercado do Rato that takes clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and household goods, sorts everything, and passes it on three ways.
Right for you if
- It still works or still fits, and you would rather it reached someone nearby than a container.
- It has to cost nothing.
- You can get it there under your own steam.
- You would rather it was used again than buried.
- You want to turn up without booking.
Look elsewhere if
- You have no way of getting it there.
Contact and booking
- Phone
- Not published
- Not published
- Book online
- Not published
- Address
- Rua Alexandre Herculano 64, antigo Mercado do Rato, 1250-012 Lisboa
- Opening hours
- Monday to Sunday, 11:00-19:00, closed on public holidays, per their Portuguese pages. Their English page still says Monday to Saturday plus the last Sunday of each month. The site contradicts itself; ring 965 461 901 before a Sunday trip.
- Website
- Official website
Verification
Verified against an official source
Last checked 29 August 2026
That means we read a published source and it said this. It does not mean we watched them do it, or followed the material afterwards, that is a separate, deeper check this has not been through. How we check →
Sources
Part of How to get rid of stuff in Lisbon.
Why use it
This is one of the few places that will tell you where your things actually went. Everything is sorted: what is unusable goes for recycling, what is usable but not saleable goes to partner institutions, and what is in very good condition is sold cheaply in the shop. People referred by more than thirty partner institutions can take what they need for free, using a monthly voucher.
Good for
- clothes
- textiles
- books
- toys
- other items
How it works
| How you use it | You take it there. |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free to donate. |
| Booking | No appointment needed. |
| Service area | Lisboa |
| Run by | A Boa Vizinhança, a nonprofit |
Where your things go
A named destination is worth more than a stated intention, and both are worth more than silence. This is the row to read before you book: if your item's row is empty, ask them on the phone and tell us what they say.
- ✓ Named destination
- ~ Stated, not named
- ? Nothing published
- Tell us what you were told →
Does it actually work
The part no company website tells you. Some of this comes from our checks, some from readers who used the service, and where nobody has told us yet, it says so.
-
Booking
Their pages
No appointment. Donations are received Thursday to Sunday, and the shop itself is open every day 11:00 to 19:00, except during the suspensions, typically August and December.
-
Typical wait
Needs reports
Not established
Nothing on the site describes a queue or a lead time, because donations are dropped off rather than collected. A stated triage turnaround, or a note on how long donors wait at the counter on busy days, would settle it.
-
Do they answer
Needs reports
Not established
The contactos page publishes +351 965 461 901 next to the shop's opening hours, but never says the number is answered as a phone line rather than used for MBWay. Published phone-answering hours would settle it.
-
Restrictions
Their pages
Donations are suspended for parts of the year, typically August and December, so check before travelling. Goods must be in working order.
Nothing published about what they refuse. If you are turned away, tell us what for.
-
Who it's for
Their pages
Anyone can donate or shop. Referred beneficiaries from 30+ partner institutions take what they need free, via a monthly voucher.
Nothing published about who may use it.
-
Last checked
Pipeline
29 August 2026
Checked against the sources listed on this page.
The Responsible Index, in full
Not a review score. 14 observable signals, each met only where the operator's own pages state it, and each linking to the page it was read from. Blanks are gaps in what they publish, not accusations. How the Index works →
Documents more than most, but stops short of naming facilities.
8 of 14 signals met
-
Transparency
1 of 3
- Explains the sorting process
- Publishes disposal partners
- Provides documentation or receipts
-
Reuse
3 of 3
- Reuse-first policy stated
- Resale channel
- Donation partnerships
-
Recycling
1 of 3
- Specialist handling (e-waste, mattresses)
- Material separation on site
- Named recyclers
-
Operations
1 of 3
- Service scope is clear
- Licence number published
- Insurance stated
-
Local
2 of 2
- Named community partners
- Local reuse contribution
The evidence behind it
- Reuse-first policy stated
Cada item disponível representa uma oportunidade de reutilização e um passo concreto para reduzir o desperdício e dar uma segunda vida a objetos que estão em ótimo estado.
https://donaajuda.pt/loja-social-dona-ajuda/ · 20 August 2026
- Explains the sorting process
Todos os itens passam por um processo de triagem rigoroso e detalhado levado a cabo pela criteriosa equipa de voluntariado:
https://donaajuda.pt/loja-social-dona-ajuda/ · 20 August 2026
- Resale channel
Artigos em muito bom estado: São disponibilizados, com valores de doações simbólicos e acessíveis.
https://donaajuda.pt/loja-social-dona-ajuda/ · 20 August 2026
- Service scope is clear
Aceitamos com carinho, roupas, sapatos, livros, brinquedos, vinis, CDs, DVDs, jogos, artigos de decoração, louças, roupa de casa, tecnologia e pequenos eletrodomésticos, desde que estejam em boas condições de funcionamento, mobiliário de pequeno porte, etc.
https://donaajuda.pt/como-ajudar/ · 20 August 2026
- Donation partnerships
Recolha de tampas de plástico, destinadas à Associação Portuguesa de Pais e Amigos do Cidadão Deficiente Mental (APPACDM);
https://donaajuda.pt/re-vira-volta/ · 20 August 2026
- Named community partners
Campanha “Papel por Alimentos”, em parceria com o Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome;
https://donaajuda.pt/re-vira-volta/ · 20 August 2026
- Specialist handling (e-waste, mattresses)
Reutilização de rolhas de cortiça, encaminhadas para o GreenCork que promove projetos de reflorestação em parceria com a Quercus e outras organizações.
https://donaajuda.pt/re-vira-volta/ · 20 August 2026
- Local reuse contribution
Além disso, a loja social é um ponto de encontro para voluntários e membros da comunidade, promovendo uma rede de apoio emocional e social que vai além da ajuda material, e que se tem revelado um verdadeiro ponto de encontro da comunidade local que aproveita para criar laços e conviver, enquanto ajuda e contribui.
https://donaajuda.pt/loja-social-dona-ajuda/ · 20 August 2026
14 signals checked against 3 pages on 29 August 2026. The Index measures what an operator publishes about itself. It cannot be bought, verification does not raise it, and it never touches the order Spots are listed in.
Where donated things land
The organisations this operator names. The linked ones have profiles here; the rest are named on their pages and not yet checked by us.
- APPACDM Named on their pages, not yet checked
What happens to it
- Donated to an organisation that will use it
- Put back into use
- Recycled
This describes the route the item takes, as the operator states it. We do not claim a recovery rate we have not seen evidence for.
What readers told us
Used them recently?
How long you waited, what they refused, whether anyone picked up the phone. Those are the three facts no website publishes and the ones the next reader needs.
Alternatives in Lisbon
Other places that will take things off your hands.
-
Donation
Banco de Bens Doados: Entrajuda
Entrajuda
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, other items
- Where
- Bairro da Quinta do Cabrinha
- Booking
- By phone
-
Municipal
Recolha de Monos: Câmara Municipal de Lisboa
Câmara Municipal de Lisboa
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, garden waste, and 1 more
- Wait
- Up to 5 working days from request to assessment and collection, unless you ask for a later date. Regulamento art. 32.5.
- Where
- Lisboa
- Booking
- Book online
View → Checked 29 Aug 2026