PRESS RELEASE

City of Long Beach 
Public Information Office
411 W. Ocean Blvd, 
Long Beach, CA 90802
www.longbeach.gov

10/13/2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 101323-3
Subject:
Long Beach Hosting Donation Drive Thru Event Saturday, October 21, to Support People Experiencing Homelessness
Contact:
City of Long Beach Joint Information Center
562.570.NEWS
JIC@longbeach.gov





Photo of Homeless Services Bureau staff carrying donations at past donation drive thru event.
Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach will host its eighth consecutive monthly donation drive thru event on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, to collect essential items to distribute to people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Main Facilities Center (2525 Grand Ave.). Donations received during the event will be distributed at the Multi-Service Center (MSC) to people experiencing homelessness and will also be available to local partner organizations to distribute.

For this month’s donation drive, the City encourages donations of hygiene kits and/or travel size hygiene products, which will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness during the 2024 Homeless Point in Time (PIT) Count taking place in early 2024, in addition through standard outreach. More information about the 2024 PIT Count will be available in the coming weeks.

The City is also seeking cold weather clothing items and items from the below list for contribution:

  • 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 (especially 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.

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 2023, the City has collected over 26,000 items generously donated by community members, including 12,808 items during the City’s first seven donation drive thru events and over 13,250 items from drop-off bins and items donated through other avenues. More than half of these items have been distributed to the MSC and community organizations thus far.

Local organizations that support people experiencing homelessness and are interested in receiving donations to support their organization’s mission are encouraged to submit a donation request form based on their charitable outreach needs.

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

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.

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.

Media inquiries may be directed to the City of Long Beach Joint Information Center at 562.570.NEWS or JIC@longbeach.gov.