Long Beach will host its seventh donation drive-thru event to collect essential items for people experiencing homelessness on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Department headquarters.
Community members who would like to donate are encouraged to bring the following things:
- Hygiene kits or house-warming gifts from the MSC wish list
- Towels and blankets
- Backpacks filled with hand warmers, flashlights, battery packs, batteries (especially D batteries), emergency blankets and charging cables
- Pet care kits with food, treats, collars, leashes, pet toys or collapsible pet bowls
- General clothing
- Sweatpants, shirts, socks, men’s and women’s underwear, beanies, scarves, caps, hoodies
- “Welcome home” kits with any of the mentioned items along with a hand-written, motivating note
- Canned food, manual can openers (small), bottled water or juice and snacks like granola bars, instant oatmeal and instant soup
“Our community has been so generous in their contributions over the last six months,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a prepared statement. “Through these donations, we’ve been able to provide more than 11,300 essential items to people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach.”
Gift cards will not be accepted at the drive-thru event but can be donated at the MSC. To schedule a drop-off time, call 562-570-4586.
The city will partner with local organizations to distribute the donations at the Multi-Service Center. Local organizations that support people experiencing homelessness can request donations for their outreach needs. Community members can learn more and get involved here.
The drive-thru event will be Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Department Main Facilities Center, 2525 Grand Ave.