12TH Annual National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Month
CITY TO TAKE PART IN 12TH ANNUAL NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS MONTH
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – The City of Laguna Beach is pleased to announce its participation in the 12th Annual National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Month. During the month of November, this event brings awareness to the Laguna Beach community about people who are hungry and homeless in our community, our county, and our nation.
• Proclaimed by the City Council and organized as a public service by the Housing and Human Services Committee, the purpose of Laguna Beach’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness month is to enhance community awareness of the issue in our society, our own hungry and homeless in Laguna Beach, and the community organizations that assist with these concerns in Laguna Beach and Orange County.
To learn more about Laguna Beach’s Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Month, the community is encouraged to visit:
Laguna Hungry and Homeless
During the entire month of November, there are nine different ways you can participate:
• Volunteering Time at the Friendship Shelter. Friendship Shelter’s vision is to end homelessness in southern Orange County, one person at a time. Each night, 166 individuals sleep safe and are cared for in one of our three housing-focused programs. We’re proud to have permanently housed 100 vulnerable individuals last year and we are on track to repeat this success in 2019! Interested in donating your time in support this vital work? Friendship Shelter’s primary need is for volunteers to provide, prepare, and help serve hot, healthy meals for our residents. Guest Chefs of all ages are encouraged to volunteer their time and recipes, and make a positive difference in the lives of our residents. To volunteer, call (949) 494-6928 or email office at office@friendshipshelter.org
• Waterman’s Wall 5th Anniversary Art Expo: Join the Laguna Beach Networks Fundraiser (hors d’oeuvres, dessert, live music, and “the man behind the wall” artist Randy Morgan’s silent auction) on Friday November 8, 2019 at 5:30p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at Laguna Hungry and Homeless Special guest speaker: Tim Storey presents “Time to Turn Your Setbacks into Comebacks”. Proceeds will benefit the Laguna Beach Networks-Helping Hands from the Homeless Work Program. The event will be held at the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts at BC Space, located at 235 Forest Avenue. For more information, please contact Faye Chapman at (949) 280-2885 or Faye@RandyMorganArt.com• Exclusive Laguna Beach Kitchen Tours: Peek into the well-appointed kitchens of some of the most beautiful homes in Laguna Beach on Sunday November 10, 2019 from 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. This self- guided tour of selected homes will help fill the Laguna Food Pantry’s shelves and refrigerators so that no one goes hungry. Sponsored by the Mike Johnson Group. For tickets and additional information, please visit:
Event Brite Stock the Pantry Kitchen• Recommended Film Screenings: The following suggested films reveal the struggles of those experiencing poverty and homelessness in America. “The Florida Project” (2017) “Set over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World. “Dark Days” (2000) “Marc Singer’s documentary about the homeless population who live in the underground tunnels of New York City –haunting and uplifting in equal measures”. View movie trailers at Laguna Hungry and Homeless films
• A Day of Kindness: Join the Ability Project’s Public Awareness Event in the Cobblestone Area of Main Beach in Laguna Beach on Saturday November 9, 2019 from 10:00am-5:30pm. Activities include music, sunset meditation and featured artist, Ava August. Shadi Pourkashef, who is the founder of the Ability Awareness Project and Goodwill Ambassador of World Kindness for Laguna Beach promotes anti-bullying education and empowerment. The City of Laguna Beach declared support for a kinder world and to place World Kindness Day, occurring each year in November on the City’s calendar.
• Winter Clothing Drive (Month of November). Gather up your gently-used winter clothing and drop it off at the Laguna Exchange, located at 995 S. Coast Highway (corner of Anita Street and PCH on the Ocean side of the street), open from 11:00-5:00pm Sunday-Thursday, and 11:00-6:00p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• The Annual Laguna Beach Community Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner (November 28th at Noon.) Join Friendship Shelter and the Neighborhood Congregational Church for Laguna Beach’s Annual Thanksgiving Community Potluck-on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 12:00p.m. An estimated 600 to 700 meals will be served buffet style, with food and supplies provided by individuals, churches and community groups. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite dish for the potluck buffet, which is available to all members of the community, including many of our homeless clients. Donations of prepared and cooked turkeys and food are needed and will be accepted beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the church at 340 St. Ann’s Drive. To donate turkey, contact Mary LaRusso at (949) 497-5641 or theturkeylady@cox.net. The feast begins at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Friendship Shelter Marketing Director, Kristin Points at (949) 494-6928 or email office@friendshipshelter.org.
• The Laguna Food Pantry’s Annual Food Drive (Month of November): Sponsored by the City of Laguna Beach and Waste Management, the food drive benefits the Laguna Food Pantry, which provides free, fresh groceries to more than 300 local families in need each week. Located at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road north of the dog Park, the Pantry is open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. New volunteers are always welcome. Phone (949) 497-7121 www.lagunafoodpantry.org.
What food items are most needed?
1. Peanut Butter and Jelly
2. Canned Tuna
3. Cereal
4. Macaroni and Cheese
5. Pasta and Pasta Sauce 6. Rice and beans• Girl Scout Toiletry Drive (November 1st-18th). Made possible by the Laguna Beach Girl Scouts and the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, our community can participate by donating unused toiletry items and socks which benefit our city’s Alternative Sleeping Location (ASL), which provides the homeless temporary nightly housing and other services year round. For a list of drop off locations, please contact Missy Palino at (949) 322-0470 MKRPalino@SBCGlobal.net We are in constant need the following items:
1. New Socks (Adult sizes preferred)
City of Laguna Beach, October 31, 2019, Media Release
2. Sample sized Shampoo and Conditioner
3. Individually Wrapped Bars of Soap
4. Deodorant
5. Toothbrushes and Sample Sized Toothpaste
6. Sunscreen
7. Small Bottles of Lotion
8. Lip Balm
9. Disposable Razors
10. Feminine Products
11. Small Tissue Packages
12. Bandaids
13. Washcloths
14. Brushes/Combs
About Laguna Beach’s Housing & Human Services Committee
The Housing & Human Services Committee assesses and identifies housing opportunities and human needs for all segments of the community, provides input on the City’s Housing Element of the General Plan, informs and makes recommendations to the City Council and other community leaders, and increases awareness to the community of programs to fill these needs.
