Community can now donate funds and submit interest forms for additional support services

City of Long Beach logoThe City of Long Beach today launched an online portal with detailed information on how community members, local organizations and businesses can help support the migrant children who will be temporarily sheltered at the Long Beach Convention Center as part of the federal government’s national humanitarian effort to support unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the southern borders. Children are expected to begin arriving at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shelter sometime this week.

“There’s been overwhelming interest from our community to welcome and support the migrant children who will be coming to our city,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Long Beach will continue to demonstrate compassion to those in need, and our online portal will provide up-to-date information on ways community members can support these efforts.”

While the reunification effort and shelter is led and funded by the HHS, the City will focus on assisting HHS and the federal government in welcoming the children and supporting them during the reunification process.

There has been significant interest from the Long Beach community to support these children, and now community members, local organizations and businesses can do so by donating funds or submitting an interest form to support this effort.

Monetary Donations
The Long Beach Community Foundation has launched the Migrant Children Support Fund to accept monetary donations from community members, local organizations and businesses. All donations are designated specifically to provide assistance and supportive resources related to the migrant children humanitarian effort in Long Beach. Resources provided through these donations are intended to make the children more comfortable during their stay in Long Beach and during the reunification process. All monetary donations to this fund are tax-deductible.

This is the easiest and quickest way the community and local organizations and businesses can support this effort. Donations can be made online, or by mailing a check to the Long Beach Community Foundation at 400 Oceangate, Suite 800, Long Beach, CA 90802. Check donations should include “Migrant Children Support Fund” on the check designation.

Business and Vendor Services and Organization Donations
Businesses and organizations interested in providing complimentary services at the HHS shelter should complete an interest form, which will be submitted to HHS for review and consideration. Examples of services include:

  • Food/meal services
  • Education
  • Recreation
  • Mental health
  • Entertainment
  • Family reunification
  • Child supervision
  • Legal services
  • Religious services
  • Language translation
  • Case management
  • Facility set-up assistance
  • Health care

Personal Volunteer Opportunities
The City is actively working with HHS to identify additional ways the community can get involved, including through volunteer opportunities and possibly physical donations. People interested in volunteering should submit a volunteer interest form with their name and contact information and HHS will be in contact as opportunities are identified.

Volunteers may be utilized for a number of activities and services, which will be headed by HHS. Additional information on these opportunities will be provided at a later date.

Information on how to become a HHS sponsor is available on the HHS Sponsors and Placement webpage.

On April 6, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved to allow the City Manager to negotiate a partnership agreement with HHS to support their efforts to temporarily house and quickly reconnect unaccompanied minors who have been arriving at the southern border.

Long Beach has a long history of welcoming and helping immigrants and refugees. While at the Convention Center, the children will remain under the care of HHS until they can be reunited with their family or a U.S. sponsor. The Convention Center has ample space for the children to recreate, learn and receive medical attention if needed, and has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 children.

The HHS shelter will not impact COVID-19 vaccination clinic operations currently underway at the Convention Center. Costs for the operation and use of the facility are being provided by the federal government.

Additional information regarding HHS shelter operations will be available soon.

Details regarding the HHS Unaccompanied Children Program are available on the HHS webpage.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.