PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Community Foundation (Foundation) has announced the establishment of a disaster relief fund. The Long Beach Disaster Relief Fund will provide funding to organizations that offer relief to Long Beach residents in need of supportive services in the event of a disaster or major emergency.

“The cost of disaster recovery, food, shelter, and clothing, can be overwhelming for many families. The hope is that this fund will assist affected families with essential needs in the immediate aftermath of a major emergency or disaster,” said Mayor Robert Garcia.

Through a memorandum of understanding with the City, the Foundation will administer the relief fund, allowing residents and businesses the opportunity to make donations to the fund on a year-round basis.

Approved nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may be eligible for reimbursement of certain services provided to Long Beach residents to reduce economic hardships resulting from natural and man-made disasters. In the case of a disaster or emergency, the City of Long Beach will be working closely with the Foundation to identify impacted areas, and the Foundation will be responsible for the administration of the Disaster Relief Fund to organizations and institutions within the identified impacted area who have provided assistance.

“The Long Beach Community Foundation is perfectly poised to facilitate charitable contributions from the community to the places they are needed most during times of crisis,” said Marcelle Epley, President and CEO of the Long Beach Community Foundation. “This partnership allows City staff to concentrate on the most pressing matters during those stressful times while the Community Foundation maximizes community support.”

At the national level, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) exists for the purpose of helping people before, during, and after disasters. The Agency has an overall responsibility for assisting residents and businesses nationwide with declared disaster-related losses. Similarly, the California of Office Emergency Services (Cal OES) was established to help coordinate aid to those impacted by disasters within the State of California.

“This Long Beach Disaster Relief Fund will not duplicate or usurp FEMA or Cal OES of their responsibility. Rather, this fund will fill a gap and assist residents impacted by non-FEMA and non-Cal OES eligible incidents,” said Reggie Harrison, Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. “This fund is designed to reimburse 501(c)3 organizations, schools, and eligible agencies that provide services during times of emergencies and disasters directly impacting Long Beach residents.”

The public can call the Foundation at 562.435.9033 or visit www.longbeachcf.org to donate or learn more about the disaster relief fund.

For additional information on disaster preparedness topics, those interested are welcome to visit www.longbeach.gov/DisasterPreparedness, and stay tuned to disaster preparedness news and information by following @LongBeachReady on Twitter and “Like” @LongBeachDisasterPreparedness on Facebook.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications

The mission of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is to protect the lives and property of the community and first responders through comprehensive planning, training and communication to ensure that daily requests for emergency services, as well as preparedness, response, and recovery from major emergencies and disasters is completed in an effective and efficient manner.

About the Long Beach Community Foundation

The Long Beach Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, public organization with more than $50 million in assets and 160 charitable funds. It was established in 1996 to make strategic grants to nonprofits, and assist individual donors with their philanthropic goals today and through planned giving. Fees charged to manage funds at the Foundation are invested directly back into the community in the form of discretionary grants. LBCF’s mission is to initiate positive change for Long Beach through charitable giving, stewardship, and strategic grant making with a vision of being the preeminent steward of endowments serving the needs of Long Beach in perpetuity.