After amassing nearly 30,000 toy and book donations, the City of Long Beach is accepting “encouraging letters” for unaccompanied migrant children being held at the Convention Center.
“It doesn’t surprise me that our community donated tens of thousands of toys and books for these children,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “This is what Long Beach is all about. I’m looking forward to continuing to support these kids through this letter-writing campaign.”
Number of unaccompanied migrant children surges at border
This past year, the number of children in the care of Health and Human Services (HHS) surged. As of April 26, 22,103 children were in HHS care, rising steadily from 11,551 as of March 23.
Both the mayor and local advocacy groups have blamed the rise on Title 42, a 1944 public health law that has been leveraged by border officials to turn away migrant families at the border.
As families are turned away in droves, many have chosen to send their children over the border alone to increase their chances of entering the country.
The Long Beach Convention Center acts as a halfway point as federal officials work to reunite the minors with family members or designated sponsors in the United States.
See Related: Migrant children now at Long Beach Convention Center: A first look at the center
Though the center has been outfitted with beds, a medical center and a space for recreation, at its core it’s still a detention center. The City of Long Beach launched a toy drive and, now, a letter campaign to brighten up the often surgical-looking atmosphere.
Steve Goodling, President & CEO of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, said he was “extremely impressed by the volume of donations” from the community.
“Once again, Long Beach has demonstrated how generous a community it truly is,” Goodling said in a statement. “We thought that this gift giving would continue at that level for the first three or four days, but it continued for a solid two weeks, with many donors dropping off gifts until the very last minute.”
How can I send a letter?
Today through Saturday, May 22, community members can drop off 8.5-by-11-inch, one-sided letters in English or Spanish. Letters can also contain appropriate photos or drawings. Letters in envelopes must be unsealed.
Health and Human Services will give the letters directly to the children, according to the City, and will be displayed within the shelter so “children can read positive messages from the community throughout their stay.”
The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) will accept letters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, at the following LBPL To-Go locations:
- Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway
- Bay Shore Library, 195 Bay Shore Ave.
- Bret Harte, 1595 W. Willow St.
- Los Altos, 5614 Britton Dr.
- Mark Twain, 1401 E. Anaheim St.
- Michelle Obama, 5870 Atlantic Ave.
Letters can also be dropped at the following area hotels from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily:
- Golden Sails Hotel, 6285 Pacific Coast Hwy.
- Hilton Long Beach, 701 W. Ocean Blvd.
- Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport, 2640 N. Lakewood Blvd.
- Long Beach Airport Marriott, 4700 Airport Plaza Dr.
- Westin Long Beach, 333 E. Ocean Blvd.
