Calling all faith-based churches and religious organizations

LBPD is calling all faith-based churches and organization tp participate in the National Faith & Blue (Weekend) hosted on October 6-9, 2023. How to Participate, a Step-by-Step Guide:

• Plan your event during the weekend of October 6-9, 2023
• For ideas see the Activity Planning Toolkit: https://faithandblue.org/resources
• Register your event by Thursday, September 21, 2023 at bit.ly/LBPDfaithandblue - The earlier the better, so LBPD will be able to send over some officers/personnel to participate.
• Get the word out! Find social media templates and more at https://faithandblue.org/resources - Whichever method you typically use to communicate with your congregation/community is likely best.
• Questions contact  LBPDCommunityEngagement@longbeach.gov

Homelessness Emergency Declaration

Donation Drive Thru Event Saturday, September 23

On Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Long Beach will host its seventh donation drive thru to collect essential items to distribute to people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The event will take place 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 (MSC) to people experiencing homelessness and will also be available to local partner organizations to distribute.

The City is currently seeking clothing, as well as the following items, 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.

Learn more here...

Public Health & the Homeless Services Bureau's (HSB) 6-Month Update

At Tuesday's City Council Meeting we also received a six-month update on the homelessness emergency proclamation. This comprehensive presentation showcased all the hard work our City has done since the proclamation. At a glance from the presentation, from January 10, 2023 – July 10, 2023:

• 2,412 outreach requests responded to
• 2,494 people experiencing homelessness contacted
• 607 Encampment Clean Ups from the Clean Team

Long Beach is a leader in managing homelessness with compassion, and will continue to work toward solving and mitigating .

As a reminder, if you are looking to get help for someone experiencing homelessness or want to discuss an encampment, please call the HSB via 562-570-4672 or email HomelessServices@longbeach.gov. If witnessing suspected criminal activity, community members are advised to report to Long Beach PD Dispatch: 562-435-6711. In the event of an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

Here is a link for some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding homelessness.

Mobile Access Center Continues Outreach Throughout September

Long Beach will continue to deploy its Mobile Access Center (MAC) in select areas weekdays. The MAC significantly lowers barriers to providing case management services and other resources for people experiencing homelessness.

Throughout September, the MAC will be stationed at the following locations from 9 a.m. to noon:

• Mondays – MacArthur Park (1321 E. Anaheim St.) near the basketball courts.
• Tuesdays – Christian Outreach in Action (515 E. 3rd St.), parked on Linden Ave.
• Wednesdays – In the area of Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway) and Lincoln Park, parked on Ocean Blvd.
• Thursdays – Drake/Chavez Soccer Fields (903-999 Fairbanks Ave.). Van will be parked facing Los Angeles River near the parking lot located on De Forest Ave. just south of the soccer fields.
• Fridays – Alamitos Beach Parking Lot near the south end of the parking lot, at Shoreline Dr. and Beach Access Rd.

The MAC will also be stationed from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the locations below:

• Mondays – Traffic Circle, in the area of Ximeno Ave. and E. Atherton St. Van will be parked on Ximeno Ave.
• Tuesdays – Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), Atlantic Ave. side of the park.
• Wednesdays – 6th St. and Long Beach Blvd. on 6th St. between Long Beach Blvd. and Elm Ave.

The City anticipates expanding service locations once the second MAC vehicle launches later this month.

Information detailing the city's homelessness response efforts is now available on the Homelessness Digital Dashboard.