Let’s save CityHeART

I’ve posted about CityHeART a lot because I think they’re one of Long Beach’s best nonprofits. But Nate and I volunteered there all summer and I was actually blown away by just how much this group does. 

They feed 400 people each week, beautiful food, including home cooked meals, you’d be proud to serve. They operate an entire community health clinic, with nurses and nursing students that provides access to care for dozens of folks each week- many of whom would otherwise go without. They run a dozen or more community therapy classes for residents to help heal from trauma and build community. They run a whole damn radio station and publish a gorgeous art magazine I’m thrilled to contribute to. And they provide case management support to dozens of social workers supporting veterans or folks battling addiction. 

But the needs have far outweighed resources this year, and CityHeART is in very real danger of closing its doors. If this happens, hundreds of people each week will lose FOOD, MEDICAL SUPPORT, and SERVICES. 

My goals is to raise $800 to keep this beloved institution open for two days of operation in 2027. 

HOW DOES THAT WORK? Simple. It costs $400 a day for CityHeART to operate in its current capacity. Every $400 we raise through LB Gives over the next 10 days protects one day of operations at CityHeART.  What’s more: each dollar raised allows CityHeART to provide $5 in services back to folks in our community who often lack access to resources or other supports. So, $400 covers a day of operations AND allows CityHeart to provide $2000 in supports and services for our neighbors in need.  

Dave and I donate to CityHEART because when I think of the issues that matter most to us— housing, food access, health care, helping families— they are addressing these issues in a measurable and impactful way. 

If you feel compelled to lend a hand towards  our neighbors, I can’t recommend this organization enough.

CityHeART operates a community Resource Hub in Long Beach, working alongside veterans, seniors, and families with children, many of whom are navigating a housing journey. We work alongside guests, case managers, and frontline staff to fill the gaps that can stall progress, whether that means groceries, laundry, resource navigation, wellness support, household essentials, or simply a consistent community to come back to.

At the heart of our mission is a story-centered approach. We invest in people’s stories by empowering them to name what they need, equipping them with practical resources and support, and engaging them as active members of their community.

What can happen inside one hour?

An hour at CityHeART is rarely just one thing happening.

Inside of a single 60 minutes:

• Groceries might arrive and immediately make their way to families,
• A guest might do a load of laundry while connecting with an intern about another need, 
• A case manager might stop by to coordinate support for someone on their caseload, 
• A veteran might connect with another veteran through our Veterans Homefront HeARTLine, 
• Someone might pick up emergency food, household essentials, clothing, or transportation support,
• A peer support group might be facilitated, and/or
• A neighbor navigating housing and/or trauma may share their story for the first time and experience the transformation of being heard.

Sometimes, all of those things are happening at once.

And because CityHeART is powered by donated goods, volunteer hours, professional partnerships, and community collaboration, every $1 donated is matched by approximately $4 in community time, talent, and treasure contributed in kind.

That turns every $1 donated into approximately $5 in community value.

When you protect an hour, you are not simply helping us keep a building open. You are protecting an hour in which an entire community can show up for one another.

This Long Beach Gives, I am helping CityHeART protect days in 2027.

$100 protects one hour and helps activate approximately $500 in community value.

$400 protects one full day and helps activate approximately $2,000 in community value.

$2,000 protects an entire week and helps activate approximately $10,000 in community value.

Our goal is to raise $25,000 to protect the first three months of CityHeART’s operating time in 2027.

Every gift protects more than time. It protects a place where resources can be shared, relationships can grow, gaps can be filled, and people can continue investing in one another’s stories.

Will you help protect days at CityHeART?