LA Harbor News

The City of Long Beach is launching a donation campaign to raise money for the Mayor’s Fund for Homeless Action (Mayor’s Fund). Donations from residents, businesses and community organizations will support grants to organizations in Long Beach that address significant needs of people and families in the community who are experiencing homelessness.

“We must go all in to address the urgent needs of those in our city experiencing homelessness,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “With the Mayor’s Fund for Homeless Action, we are empowering our community to make a real difference and support those who need it most.”

The vision of the Mayor's Fund, formerly known as the Mayor's Fund to End Homelessness, is to activate innovative localized efforts to support people experiencing homelessness through outreach, connections to housing, supplies and opportunities for all community members and organizations to help in these solutions.

Contributions will aid the City and its partners in their efforts to address homelessness through a variety of critical needs, including relocation assistance, shelter services, transportation assistance, critical infrastructure improvements and repairs, replacement of mission critical equipment, move-in assistance, and other creative community-driven responses around homelessness. Money dispersed from the Mayor’s Fund must be used to benefit people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach.

Donations are tax-deductible and can be made by credit card or check on the City’s Homelessness website. Funds are administered by the Long Beach Community Foundation, allowing the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services to use the funds for traditionally under-funded aspects of addressing homelessness, such as prevention.

The City is also accepting physical donations such as:

• Hygiene kits with items like soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush, dental floss, feminine products, shaving cream and razors.
• Pet care kits that include items like pet treats, collars, leashes, pet toys or collapsible pet bowls.
• Backpacks with needed items like hand warmers, flashlights, battery packs, batteries (usually D batteries), emergency blankets and charging cables.
• Gift cards to places like Target, Walmart, McDonalds, Taco Bell, In 'N' Out, Dunkin Donuts and grocery stores.
• Food items like canned food, bottled drinks like juices or water, snacks such as granola bars or power bars, instant oatmeal, instant soup, fruit and vegetables.
• Unused clothing items like sweatpants, shirts, beanies, socks, underwear, scarves, caps, hoodies, towels or blankets.

People may drop off items at the Multi-Service Center (MSC) at 1301 W. 12th St., on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (except for Thursdays, when the MSC closes to the public at 2 p.m.). Please note that the MSC closes each day from noon to 1 p.m. Appointments prior to dropping off are not required but are appreciated; for appointments, please call 562.570.4MSC. People can also purchase items on the Homeless Services Bureau’s Amazon Wishlist.

For more information on the City’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.

Original source can be found here.