Volunteer, Donate And Get Involved
There are several ways to help. Donate dollars or goods, volunteer your time and participate in meetings. Here's how you can get involved.
Lived Experience Advisory Board | Mayor’s Fund For Homeless Action | Physical Donations | Donation Request Form for Local Organizations | Volunteer/Pro Bono Services | Homeless Services Advisory Committee | Continuum of Care | Homeless Count
AVISORY BOARD WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE (ABLE)
The City of Long Beach put a call to action to recruit current or previously unhoused residents interested in participating in the new Advisory Board with Lived Experience (formerly Lived Experience Advisory Board). Meetings have been canceled until further notice.For questions or additional information, please contact the City's Homeless Services staff at HomelessServicesAdmin@longbeach.gov.
MAYOR’S FUND FOR HOMELESS ACTION
The City of Long Beach (City) works with nonprofit and other community partners to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in our area. Through the City's Continuum of Care model, sites such as the Multi-Service Center collaborate to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness achieve self-sufficiency.
Still, much work remains. The Mayor’s Fund for Homelessness (Mayor’s Fund) Action provides small grants to organizations in Long Beach that address significant service delivery needs not covered by existing funding and are not considered emergency needs. The Mayor's Fund supports homeless programming that is either an innovative pilot program with clear, measurable goals or an established program seeking enhancements through supplemental, less restrictive funding.
Donations to this fund could support 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
- Immediate shelter needs
Make A Donation
Your tax-deductible donation to the Mayor’s Fund will make a real difference, providing individuals and families in our community the support they need to break the cycle of homelessness. Donations can be made by credit card or check, with funds administered by the Long Beach Community Foundation.
+See the list of past Mayor’s Fund Recipients
PHYSICAL DONATIONS
As part of the City of Long Beach’s mission to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, the City is collecting a variety of essential physical items to provide to residents who are unhoused. Community members are encouraged to join the effort by donating items in need.
- Create a hygiene kit or house-warming gift kit from the Multi-Service Center Amazon Wish List.
- Fill a backpack with needed items such as hand warmers, flashlights, battery packs, batteries (usually D batteries), emergency blankets and charging cables which can all be packaged in a backpack.
- Donate pet care kits with things like pet treats, collars, leashes, pet toys or collapsible pet bowls.
- Donate gift cards to places like Target, Walmart, McDonalds, Taco Bell, In 'N' Out, Dunkin Donuts and grocery stores. (Only accepted at the Multi-Service Center).
- Drop off 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.
Young people can make a welcome home kit with some of the suggested items above and include a special hand-written motivating message to go in the kit. It’s a meaningful way to get youth involved in helping the community.
Donate food items like canned food, bottled drinks like juices or water, snacks such as granola bars or power bars, instant oatmeal and instant soup.
People may 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.
DONATION REQUEST FORM FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Long Beach-based organizations that support people experiencing homelessness may request donated items, including essentials such as clothing, blankets and toiletries, to further support their organization’s mission. Organizations interested in receiving donations can submit a donation request form. While the City will make every effort to accommodate all requests, donations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. .VOLUNTEER OR PROVIDE PRO BONO SERVICES
If you are interested in providing an ongoing pro bono service to benefit people currently experiencing homelessness, contact the Homeless Services Bureau at HomelessServices@longbeach.gov.Staff will discuss how you may be able to contribute your services.HOMELESS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE INFORMATION AND MEETING SCHEDULE
The City of Long Beach established the Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) in 1988. The HSAC serves at the discretion of the City Council and Mayor, providing recommendations on policies, programs and activities related to homeless assistance resources. The committee is governed by the regulations set forth in Ordinance Resolution C-24600. It also makes recommendations directly to the Long Beach City Council.
The HSAC is composed of 11 Long Beach residents, one appointed from each of the City Council districts and two selected at-large by the Mayor’s Office.
The HSAC consider recommendations from the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) Board and general membership on matters related to homeless services policy, programs and funding. It develops recommendations and receives public comments at its regular monthly meetings on issues related to homelessness in Long Beach. Additionally, the HSAC submits an annual report to the City Council summarizing its highlights and recommendations for the following year.
HSAC meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month unless otherwise noted:
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Century Villages at Cabrillo Social Hall
Address: 2001 River Ave Long Beach CA 90810
Meeting Packet
Policy Subcommittee
The Policy Subcommittee meets monthly, every second Monday of the month (unless otherwise noted):
Date: Monday, May 12, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Housing Authority
Address: 1500 Hughes Way Ste. C-300 Long Beach, CA 90810
Meeting Packet
Mayor’s Fund Subcommittee
The Mayor’s Fund Subcommittee meets monthly, every Monday a week prior to the HSAC meeting (unless otherwise noted):
Date: Monday, April 28, 2025- CANCELLED
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Housing Authority
Address: 1500 Hughes Way Ste. C-300 Long Beach, CA 90810
Meeting Packet
For more information, please email HomelessServicesAdmin@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570-4182.
CONTINUUM OF CARE INFORMATION AND MEETING SCHEDULE
In accordance with the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act), enacted on May 20, 2009, representatives from organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless individuals within the City of Long Beach have established a Continuum of Care to carry out planning, coordination and implementation activities outlined in Title 24, Section 578of the Code of Federal Regulations (24 CFR 578) by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) is comprised of five entities: 1) the Long Beach CoC General Membership, 2) the Long Beach CoC Board, 3) the Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC), 4) the Long Beach City Council, 5) the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services Homeless Services Bureau.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Long Beach CoC Special Board Meeting
The Long Beach CoC Board is composed of elected members responsible for overseeing local planning, coordination and implementation activities related to ending and preventing homelessness in the region. The CoC Board meets twice quarterly on the second Tuesday in January, March, April, June, July, September, October, and December (unless otherwise noted).
Date: Wednesday , May 07, 2025
Time: TBD
Location: Century Villages at Cabrillo Social Hall
Address: 2001 River Avenue Long Beach, CA 90810
Meeting Packet
Long Beach CoC General Membership Meeting
The Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) General Membership is a broad-based group of local stakeholders with a shared interest in ending and preventing homelessness in the city. The CoC General Membership meets quarterly on the third Tuesday in March, June, September and December (unless otherwise noted).
Date: Wednesday, May 07, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Century Villages at Cabrillo Social Hall
Adress: 2001 River Avenue Long Beach, CA 90810
Meeting Packet
For more information, please email HomelessServicesAdmin@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570-4555.
Policies and Standards Subcommittee Meeting
The Policies and Standards Subcommittee meets quarterly, every first Thursday of the month at 12:00 noon via zoom
- Meetings are cancelled until further notice.
- By Web: Zoom Meeting Link
- Meeting ID: 994 7864 0247
- Passcode: 972249
- By Phone: +12133388477,,97717374537#
- Meeting Packet
- Recording Link 5.4.23
Coordinated Entry System Subcommittee Meeting
The Coordinated Entry System Subcommittee meets quarterly, every first Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. via zoom.
- Meetings are cancelled until further notice.
- By Web: Zoom Meeting Link
- Meeting ID: 956 2987 2929
- Passcode: 446113
- By Phone: +12133388477,,97717374537#
- Meeting Packet
- Recording Link 5.4.23 Password: nQtbJyP5
Quality, Data, and Performance Subcommittee Meeting
The Quality, Data, and Performance Subcommittee meets quarterly, every second Tuesday of the month at 2 pm via zoom.
- Meetings are cancelled until further notice.
- By Web: Zoom Meeting Link
- Meeting ID: 924 6596 8394924 6596 8394
- Passcode: 622147
- By Phone: +12133388477,,97717374537#
- Meeting Packet
- Recording Link 5.9.23 Password: xGgrAhb6
Governance Charter and Bylaws
Board Members
Board Terms of Office
CoC Program Resources
Written Standards
Reallocation Policies and Procedures
HMIS Policies and Procedures
ANNUAL HOMELESS POINT IN TIME COUNT
Every winter, in January or February, about 250 volunteers count the number of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The Point in Time count is a communitywide effort that gives residents and local businesses an opportunity actively contribute and learn about those experiencing homelessness and better understand the resources available to address it.
The count is a nationwide effort to tally people experiencing homelessness in each community on a single day. It is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the state of California to receive funding for homeless services. The City of Long Beach’s Continuum of Care receives these grants and finds the count essential for understanding trends, issues and the demographics of community members experiencing homelessness.
By engaging fully in this annual count, we can provide better data to service providers, government entities and community members so we can continue to work together on developing effective and appropriate homeless interventions in the City of Long Beach. People can email HomelessCount@longbeach.gov for information on volunteering.
The results of the most recent count can be found at 2024 City of Long Beach Homeless Point in Time Count Report.
The City's press release regarding the results can be found at Long Beach Releases Results of the 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count.
More information about the annual count and volunteer opportunities can be found at Annual Homeless Count.
