Volunteers are needed to distribute winter supplies to unhoused people throughout Long Beach on Saturday, Jan. 29.
“A lot of them get really cold, they get sick because they have no way of staying warm in their tents,” supply drive organizer Marcella Liggins said. “A lot of them barely have the clothes on their back and maybe a blanket, if that.”
Leading up to the distribution on Jan. 29, Liggins is accepting donations of emergency blankets, tarps, flashlights, hand and feet warmers, toilet paper, sleeping bags, tents, water, menstrual products and more.
According to Liggins, emergency blankets (otherwise known as space blankets) are especially valuable because they are waterproof and help keep people dry and warm when it rains, whereas a regular blanket will absorb water.
Those interested in volunteering or dropping off donations can contact Liggins through Instagram @_petty_labelle for the location.
Monetary donations can be made through Venmo @marcyamor or through Cash App to the account $marcellaamoria, which will be used to buy food and other essential items for unhoused people in Long Beach.
There were 2,034 unhoused people counted in Long Beach during the City’s 2020 Homeless Point in Time Count.
There is an 80-bed winter shelter in North Long Beach run by Volunteers of America and, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority, it can currently provide 45 beds.
“I just want the public to know to be kind and compassionate and show empathy to our unhoused neighbors,” Liggins said.
Winter shelters are set up throughout LA County from Nov. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Shelters have a limited number of beds and people who wish to stay in them must call first. If space is available, Long Beach’s Multi-Service Center offers transportation to shelters from the center. The Multi-Service Center is located at 1301 W 12th St. and is closed on the weekend. The winter shelter hotline is 1-800-548-6047.
