City of Long Beach Seeks Donations for Season of Giving Drive to Support People Experiencing Homelessness

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: City staff accept community donations to support people experiencing homelessness at a previous donation drive-thru event held at the City's Main Health Facility.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach is hosting its Season of Giving donation drive to encourage the local community to make someone's holiday season bright. Donations received during the Season of Giving will help support the City's ongoing efforts in providing critical, everyday essentials for people experiencing homelessness. Items will be distributed throughout the holiday and winter seasons.

"These donations are a lifeline, supporting our community members in need and the organizations that serve them," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "This holiday season, a simple act of generosity can spark a ripple of kindness and leave a lasting impact."

Those interested in contributing physical donations are encouraged to participate in the upcoming donation drive-thru event, where people can drop off a variety of essential items that will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness. The drive-thru will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Main Facilities Center, located at 2525 Grand Ave.

The City kindly requests donations of cold weather items like men's and women's sweatshirts, pants, coats, socks, blankets, umbrellas and shoes. Holiday themed gifts are also welcomed, as well as any of the following items:

• Hygiene kits or house-warming gift kits from the Multi-Service Center Amazon Wish List.
• Backpacks filled with needed items such as hand warmers, flashlights, battery packs, batteries (usually D batteries), emergency blankets and charging cables.
• Pet care kits with things like pet food, treats, collars, leashes, pet toys or collapsible pet bowls.
• S, M, L, XL or XXL sweatpants, shirts, socks and men's and women's underwear, beanies, scarves, caps, hoodies, towels or blankets. Gently used items are appreciated, too.
• Welcome home kits with some of the suggested items above and a special hand-written motivating message to go in the kit.
• Food items like canned food (and small, manual can openers), bottled drinks like juices or water, and snacks such as granola bars or power bars, instant oatmeal and instant soup.

Physical donations received will be distributed at the Multi-Service Center (MSC) to people experiencing homelessness and will also be available to local partner organizations to distribute through their existing outreach methods. While gift cards will not be accepted at drive-thru events, they can be donated at the MSC. To schedule a drop-off time, people can call 562.570.4500.

People may also drop off physical items at all open Long Beach Public Library locations during regular business hours, as well as at the below locations:

• Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach (3635 Long Beach Blvd.), Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Scherer Park Community Center (4654 Pasadena Ave.), Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.

Residents, businesses and community organizations interested in providing a tax-deductible monetary donation are encouraged to contribute to the Mayor's Fund for Homeless Action (Mayor's Fund), administered by the Long Beach Community Foundation and with oversight from Homeless Services Advisory Committee. Monetary donations to the Mayor's Fund can be made by credit card or check. For more information and to donate, visit the Mayor's Fund webpage.

The City does not represent or warrant that any donations made to the City are tax deductible. Donors are encouraged to work with their tax professional. Receipts of donations are available at all drop off locations.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.

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