During the most recent bout of cold weather, rain and hail, Long Beach Rescue Mission personnel took to the streets, bringing aid to those without shelter.
As part of the Search and Rescue Program created in Dec. 2022, the Long Beach Rescue Mission sends out vans during stormy weather to distribute supplies, basic necessities, information and care packages to people experiencing homelessness. Simultaneously, the nonprofit organization tries to form connections and build trust with the unhoused people they come across—hoping to convince them to let personnel drive them back to the shelter.
“We’re trying to cultivate relationships and trust where people feel comfortable coming into shelter,” Executive Director Jeff Levine said. “And then if they say yes, we load up their stuff and bring them back to the shelter. And we’ve had some really great success.”
Levine said that as of Monday, Feb. 27, the Long Beach Rescue Mission had been able to bring 10 people back with them to the shelter, including a pregnant woman.
“We did bring one couple in. They’ve been homeless for six months and she was pregnant,” Levine said. “I can’t even imagine what that would be like, to be with your wife or significant other, pregnant, trying to figure out where you’re gonna go.”
According to Levine, as of Feb. 27 the Long Beach Rescue Mission’s women and children’s shelter was already at 100% capacity, while the men’s shelter was at 85% capacity.
While the Long Beach Rescue Mission is doing what it can to help as many people as possible, Levine said that due to the presence of children in its shelter, the organization has to sometimes use discernment when deciding to bring someone into the shelter.
Levine shared that these children have already been traumatized, and recounted a recent interaction with a child at the shelter—the little boy was scared just by the presence of an adult man, bursting into tears and becoming visibly frightened at the site of Levine.
“I think with children enrolled, it does create its own kind of unique circumstances,” Levine said. “So we can’t just bring anybody in. Somebody’s struggling with substance abuse or has [a] mental illness— we have to be wise with who we bring into the home so that we’re not creating additional trauma for the children who are already presently there. I think that that’s a consideration that’s on our heart: Trying to love our community who’s in need while also loving those who are already residing.”
The Long Beach Rescue Mission accepts donations daily to aid their clients. To see a full list of items they need, visit lbrm.org/ways-to-help/current-needs/. Donations can be dropped off at the Long Beach Rescue Mission’s Samaritan House at 1335 Pacific Ave.
