Department of
Health & Human Services

Long Beach, CA – Later this month, the City of Long Beach will host another donation drive thru event, its second in a series of monthly events, to collect essential items to distribute to people experiencing homelessness. The event will take place on Saturday, April 29 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. Donations received during the event will be distributed at the Multi-Service Center to people experiencing homelessness and will also be available to local partner organizations to distribute.

"Small acts by many create huge impacts,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “I am so grateful for the generous support our Long Beach community has shown through these donations and I look forward to seeing what more we can accomplish together at the second donation drive thru event.”

People interested in contributing to the drive are encouraged to do so by donating any of the following needed 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. It’s a meaningful way to get youth involved in helping the community.
• Food items like canned food, bottled drinks like juices or water, snacks such as granola bars or power bars, instant oatmeal and instant soup.

While gift cards will not be accepted at the drive thru event, they can be donated at the MSC. To schedule a drop-off time, people can call 562.570.4586.

Since launching donation efforts in late February, the City has collected more than 7,600 items generously donated by community members, including more than 4,000 items during the March donation drive thru event and more than 3,000 from drop off bins available at Long Beach Public Library branches and other locations. Donated items include everyday essentials such as clothing, blankets, towels, hygiene kits and toiletries, canned food and instant food items, backpacks, hats and belts.

To ensure these items can be distributed to as many people experiencing homelessness as possible, the City is launching a donation request form for Long Beach-based organizations that support people experiencing homelessness to request items to further support their organization’s mission. Organizations interested in receiving donations to support their cause can submit a donation request form. While the City will make every effort to accommodate all donation requests, donations are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

More information on how community members can get involved is available on the Volunteer, Donate and Get Involved tab at longbeach.gov/homelessness.

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.