Giving Back to our Community: Local Charities That Can Use Your Help

Sometimes you want to do something, or donate something, but you just don’t know where to turn. Charities are close to our hearts, so we’ve come up with a list of places you might be able to help out:

3788 Cerritos Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720

562/598-9790 phone
562/598-9650 fax

Hours:
Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm
By appointment only

http://www.wecarelosalamitos.org/Welcome.html

"WE CARE's Mission is to do our best to keep families within our community safely housed, by providing a comprehensive, seamless range of services that begin by preventin homelessness whenever possible.

WE CARE of Los Alamitos is a family support cneter sponsored by local churches, community groups, corporations and concerned citizens.

They serve families residing in the areas of Northwest Orange County including the cities of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Cypress and Stanton.

WE CARE also distributes food to close to 200 families during the Holidays, plus another 200 families are adopted at Christmas where almost 3,000 toys are distributed.

Since 2007, volunteers have organized an annual event, From The Heart, which is now hosted by Aegean Designing Whims. In 2011, over $50,000 was donated back to the center.

Once a year, at their Health Fair, We Care also provides free immunizations, mini-dental check-ups. Fingerprinting and Back to School materials are provided along with helping families fill out Medi-Cal & Healthy Families applications.

We Care can always use monetary donations:
$10 purchases a bus pass so that a young adult can attend school
$25 enables a family of 4 to purchase groceries for a week
And you can donate online:

http://www.wecarelosalamitos.org/Donations.html

Or here are some things they can always use:

Any dry packaged foods, Personal Care Products: toothbrushes
Spaghetti, Spaghetti Sauce, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo,
Macaroni & Cheese, conditioner, perfume, handsoap
Crackers, New Toys, or Gently Used Toys
Any canned foods, Children’s or Baby Needs, Diapers,
Vegetables, Soups, Chili, Q-Tips, Cotton Balls, Baby Oil
Gently used clothing, Bibs & Clothing, Baby Powder
House Cleaning Products Cleansers, Soaps, Laundry Soap,
The 99Cent Stores usually have good selections of these items

We’re always available to receive donations, however you can contact We Care of Los Alamitos directly at 562-598-9790 or www.wecarelosalamitos.org

3788 Cerritos Ave. Los Alamitos, Ca.

National Charity League 
The National Charity League is a national philanthropic organization, with their Los Alamitos branch, or South Coast Chapter, comprising of over 100 mothers and their daughters in grades 7-12. They support a variety of organizations in Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Surfside, Sunset Beach, Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, Cypress, Garden Grove, Westminster, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Signal Hill.

They also raise money for college scholarships for girls in our area, by running their thrift shop, Miss Charity’s Attic, A Unique Thrift Shop & Boutique, located next door to us, at 3788 Cerritos Ave, in Los Alamitos.

What they can use:
Gently used Women’s, Children’s & Men’s clothing
Costume Jewelry
Home Décor Items
Books in good condition
Children’s Toys and Games (complete & in good condition)
Preferred drop off times, Tuesday-Saturday 9-4

Long Beach Day Nursery
Founded in 1912 Long Beach Day Nursery is the first licensed childcare program in Long Beach, and the first to meet the high standards required for accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). And their mission is to provide quality early care and education for young children of working parents.
They can always use:
Markers, Paint Brushes & Paint Rollers, Beads
Corrugated Paper, Foam Pieces, Card Stock, Colored Paper & Gift Wrap
Braid, Ribbon & Rick Rack, Fabric & Felt
Plastic Squeeze Bottles & Spray Bottles (New), Wooden Dowels
Pens & Pencils, Post-its, Envelopes, Paper, Alphabet Macaroni
Bird Food/ Bird Seed, Flower or Vege Seeds, Aquariums & Gravel
Corks, Salt & Pepper Shakers, Sandpaper, Muffin Tins & Baking Cups
Pie Tins, Loaf Pans, Cake Pans, Cookie Cutters, Funnels, Ice Cube Trays
Bowls, Pots & Pans, Spatulas, Wooden Spoons Measuring Cups, Beaters
For Dramatic Play:
Men’s & Women’s Clothing & Accessories, Hats, Purses, Ties, Shoes, Gloves, Scarves, Jewelry, Wigs & Hair Pieces.
Old telephones and Radios (don’t have to be in working condition)
Glasses Frames, Old Hair Dryers & Curling Irons with cords removed, Hair Rollers & Infant Clothing
Checkers & Other Games, Clothes Pins, Golf Tees, Plastic Scoops from detergent

Since they’re in Long Beach, if you have anything you’d like to donate, drop it by our office and we’ll see that they get it.
You may also contact them directly at www.lbdn.org
They’re located at 1548 Chestnut Ave, Long Beach 90803 562-591-0509

Animal Shelters and Hospitals
Recycle your newspapers by donating them to your local Animal Hospital. They use them to line cages. It takes a few extra minutes to load up a bag or two and drop them off, but they certainly do go to a good cause.

VCA El Dorado Animal Hospital,
10832 Los Alamitos Bl,
Los Alamitos. 562-598-8621
Leave newspapers and shredded papers too

SPCA – Long Beach
7700 E. Sprint St. 562-597-7722

They can use the following:
Dog Shampoo, New Cat Scratching Posts
Durable Dog/Puppy Toys, Durable Cat/Kitten Toys
No Tennis Balls!
Esbilac Milk Replacer (puppies), KMR Kitten Milk Replacer
Grooming Supplies, Kitten Food, Dry & Canned
Puppy Food, Dry & Canned, Washable Beds
Leftover cardboard trays from cases of dog & cat food to use as litter boxes
Cardboard serving trays (can be purchased at Smart & Final) for litter boxes
Blankets and Towels
General Shelter Operation Supplies
‘C’ Batteries Canopies Grooming Clippers
Durable Storage Bins, Manual Can Openers, Paper Shredders
Peanut Butter, Plug-ins or scent/aromatherapy machines
Industrial Steam Cleaner

Seal Beach Animal Care Center
1700 Adolfo Lopez, 562-430-4993
e-mail contact@sbacc.org
Established in 1986, Seal Beach Animal Care Center is a non-profit, pro-humane animal shelter committed to finding permanent, loving homes for all the animals that come into their care.
They need:
Volunteers, Wellness brand cat food, Chicken or Turkey
Science Diet brand dog food, Wheat Scoop cat litter
6’ nylon dog leashes, Flannel baby blankets for kittens
Bathroom Tissue, Bleach
Liquid hand soap, Top-Loading Cat Carriers
Pet Supply & Home Improvement Cardboard cat scratchers
store gift cards
Ziplock food storage bags, all sizes, Liquid Laundry Detergent
33 & 13 Gallon Trash Bags, Dish Washing Liquid (for hand washing)
4x6 Borderless photo paper, Postage Stamps
Paper for HP digital printer
Paper or Plastic Drinking Cups, Monetary Donations
Office Supplies; dry erase board markers, copy paper, envelopes, etc
Dog & Cat Sponsorships, Foster Homes for Adult Cats
Forever Homes for the Cats & Dogs

ReStore Habitat for Humanity of Orange County
12827 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove 714-590-8729
2200 S. Ritchey Ave., Santa Ana 714-434-6200
www.habitatoc.org

The Habitat ReStore is a Discount Home Improvement Center that sells quality new and previously owned goods at discounted prices. They sell affordable building and home improvement materials and its merchandise comes from donations from individuals, contractors, suppliers and property managers.

Some materials are used directly in the construction of Habitat homes, but most are offered to the general public to purchase at reduced prices.

Here are some of the things they can use:
Appliances, Bath Tubs, Cabinets, New Carpet, Ceiling Fans, Doors, Electrical, Flooring Materials (ceramic, wood), Hardware, Lighting Products, Lumber/Plywood/Trim, New Paint, Pipe/PVC/Metal, Windows

If your items qualify for their recycling program, they even have people who will come to your home or business and carefully remove reusable items that you no longer need.

Kristie's Foundation/Kristie's Place
714-408-9781
Fax: 714-956-1475
email:info@kristies.org

Kristie's Foundation is currently working on raising money to build Kristie's Place; the first children's end-of-life care facility in Southern California. Kristie's Place will give parents of dying children an option. Most parents do not want their child to die in a hospital but bringing them home creates challenges and often is not possible.

Kristie's also partners with wish-granting organizations, and children's hospices from all over the world to bring kids to Southern California for a magical weeklong "wish trip" or short compassion stay.

You can contact Kristie's at 714-408-9781, or www.kristies.

Operation School Bell provides new school uniforms to children of need within the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). 

Did you know:
LBUSD is the third largest school district in the State of California, within a city recognized in Census 2000 as the most diverse city in the nation. 
As many as 50% of the 87,000 students in the LBUSD live in households with incomes at or below the poverty level.
Nearly 70% of the District’s students qualify for federally subsidized school lunches.
That’s well over 40,000 children in need!

Operation School Bell provides elementary, middle and high school students with 2 shirts, 2 pairs of either slacks or shorts/skorts, and a sweatshirt (a jacket for elementary students). In addition, elementary school students receive socks, underwear, a backpack with school supplies and a shoe voucher if needed.

Operation School Bell is the only “safety net” that allows Long Beach Unified School District to mandate that every K-12 student comply with a school uniform policy. The program has proven to:
Improve the learning environment for students;
Reduce distractions in the classroom;
Reduce absences;
Reduce suspensions;
Improve test scores;
Improve discipline and reduce gang influences on campus.

Christopher Steinhauser, Superintendent of LBUSD, states “we attribute much of our nationally recognized success regarding school uniforms to the Assistance League, which has clothed thousands of school children whose families cannot afford to buy uniforms. We need and deeply appreciate the Assistance League’s continued and expanded support.”

Since 1974, Assistance League of Long Beach Rick Rackers Auxiliary’s Operation School Bell has provided new school uniforms to 50,000 of the neediest children in grades K-12 within the LBUSD. In partnership with the LBUSD, it is Assistance League of Long Beach’s goal to provide uniforms to 10,000 students by the year 2011. Operation School Bell is dedicated to the vision that no child should fail to attend or perform in school for lack of adequate clothing.

6220 E. Spring Street, Long Beach, CA 90815 ▪ (562) 627-5650 ▪ www.allb.org