Long Beach Lock And Key

You have to go to an orientation first before you can volunteer. Some of their volunteer positions are soup kitchen, abused women’s shelter, clerical work, thrift store, etc. The higher tier volunteer roles require time and you have to pay for the background check ONLY if you plan to work with abused women and children. It’s awesome the safeguards they put in place for these women and their kids. The fee is a good deterrent against crazy stalkers or people who aren’t really committed to that important line of work.
Once you complete orientation, the mission gets back to you very quickly and you’ll be volunteering in no time. This is much better than other volunteer organizations that ignore or don’t follow-​up after asking you to contact them. If you ever have any questions, their interns are prompt in answering your e-​mails. They will also occasionally send e-​mails advertising more opportunities to help out with their holiday events like Easter and Thanksgiving.
Since the mission is religious, be assured that you won’t be discriminated for having a different or no beliefs. The mission also doesn’t care if you fit under the LGBT umbrella. They welcome anyone who wants to help.
The entire staff has been friendly and helpful during my time volunteering there. You don’t get the sense that you’re being exploited for free labor like some shady organizations. You know for sure you’re contributing to a good cause on getting the homeless sheltered or back on their feet! Overall, volunteering here has been a rewarding experience.

I dont what what to say about the LB rescue mission besides the staff being very informative, courteous, and welcoming. They also keep me informed of any opportunities to volunteer, which many activities also being kid friendly. During the holidays, they usually get pretty booked with feeding events. So instead I say just volunteer all year round to avoid the holiday rush!

I volunteer here every easter and thanksgiving. I really enjoy volunteering for this mission. The staff is really friendly.
I’ve been volunteering here for about 4 years now.
I grew up just a street away and lived there for about 3 years. Neighborhood back then was pretty bad. So I understood how long beach is. Long Beach is one of my favorite cities and will forever have a special place in my heart. That’s why I enjoy volunteering and helping out the community that helped me realize the benefits of hard work.
When I volunteer for the feedings, it keeps me humble. Knowing I can help the community and seeing grateful people, makes it that much more special.
Thank you for this organization for letting me help out. Mario, you are fantastic for coordinating the volunteer work!

Hi my nAme is jennifer I am currently homeless I am looking for a place to stay but I don’t know if this place could help me I have no money nor a job and I need a place to stay and help me with my situation I don’t know of someone knows about women shelters

I was looking for a place where my donations could get t the needy, not the greedy. I’m not sure I got that at this place. Feeding the homeless last month, a conversation with a guy revealed that even though I donate to Goodwill, he could never afford anything there, as he was homeless. So short of passing it out on 5^th Street myself, I’m looking for a place where those in need actually get my items.
I packed up about $ 300 worth of clothing and drove down there for drop-​off. Granted, some guys were there to grab a cart to help me unload and sort – for the shop. Speaking with the folk there, homeless have the opporunity to shop there – just like the Salvation Army. «We give some clothes to the shelters.» Some?! «Many things go to the homeless.» Many?!
Sigh. Sometimes you just gave to let go, trust God, and not think about it.

I was just about to donate a ton of new and used clothing to the rescue mission. A friend of mine told me she (used to be in a bad situation) used to rummage through their dumpsters, and said she used to find all kinds of clothing and shoes thrown away. I am so disappointed to hear that. She would absolutely have no reason to lie. :-(

The staff is really helpful, and I always have a blast when I’m here =) They accept food, your time, and money. I donate all three.

I volunteered here for Thanksgiving two years in a row and plan to continue. Wonderful way to give back and take care of our community. They accept donations of food, clothing, personal hygiene items, school supplies, and pretty much anything that can be used to help individuals and families. The people that I’ve encountered who work full-​time at this center are so dedicated and passionate about what they do that you can’t help but be affected by it. Generosity can be contagious!

LBRM is an excellent place to volunteer. There are various volunteer positions, such as working in the kitchen, working in the gift shop, and tutoring. [Go to their website for more positions and orientation dates.]
What I admire most about this shelter is its dedication to helping the homeless turn around their lives for the better. If a guest is willing, the shelter provides him/​her with an organized schedule of daily activities, from bible study to job training (kinda like a «how to go back to work» class). I currently tutor during the GED study hour, so I hear about their schedules and what they actually do during their days. I’ve always heard of shelters giving out free meals and free beds, but this shelter goes way beyond this. Some guests will commit to spending an entire year there, in order to build up confidence, knowledge and improve their reading/​math skills. They can go back into society with an actual resume and hopefully a GED.
I definitely recommend volunteering here. Also, there’s never a bad time to donate clothes/​food. SO DONATE HERE when you can! Everything will be put to good use!

Come donate all of your stuff HERE!!! As soon as I park my car, there are always a group of men who come straight outside to help me with the boxes/​bags. They don’t let me lift a finger! If you need a receipt the gentleman at the desk will issue one to you. Then boom, you’re back out the door.
It’s one thing to donate to the Salvation Army and the Goodwill Store. but it’s another, to donate directly to the homeless. The homeless population in LB really needs your help. There is the homeless shelter off of Pacific, then right across the street there is also the Women and Children’s shelter.
Here’s how it works:
When you donate your items, everything that they can put to use in the shelter is put to use. Say, if it’s a coffee table you donate, that might go into one of the rooms at the shelter. If it’s clothes/​blankets, they go straight to those in need, who are staying at the shelter. Then if there are items they just can’t use or need, it goes into their LB Rescue Mission Thrift Store. The money they make, goes straight back to the shelter. But even after that, if they don’t have enough space to sell or store items, the items go straight to a mission in Mexico. Crazy, huh? Very different from your typical Goodwill. Although I love how Goodwill provides employment for our Special Needs population, I think it’s also important to donate straight to the homeless :)
If you love living in Long Beach, please give BACK to the community by donating your time and items here. You won’t regret it!

Volunteering is something everyone should try at least once. This was my first visit to a homeless «soup kitchen/​residence» and I was surprised with the cleanliness of the rooms and pure goodness of the staff and residents. After taking an extensive tour and meeting some of the long term peeps I came to the realization that there are places locally that actually help those in need get on their feet if they choose.
The program here is to the point and the cause is worth giving your time or money if you have it available. Make time to check out their program for long term rehabilitation.
I volunteered for the TG dinner along with many others in shifts. I definitely will be doing this again and am hopeful to give more than just my time in the future. I wish all the residents luck in the program and am hopeful that they will keep up the good work and be productive in our society once again.
Currently they are looking for holiday donations for the men, women and children. If you want to give, please remember to put LBRM on your list, and give locally.

I’ve been volunteering at LBRM once a week for a year, and I love it.
I work in the kitchen. An evening dinner shift usually involves two hours of volunteer work (5 – 7 p.m.). There are other volunteering opportunities at LBRM — thrift store, mentoring, Lydia House (shelter for women and children), etc. — but the kitchen volunteers (who help serve 20 meals a week) make up the largest group.
A diverse group comes to eat there. You’ll see homeless, the working poor and, saddest of all, families with young children. The kitchen staff is composed of men, in varying stages of LBRM programs that help the homeless get sober and back on track.
Before you volunteer, please be realistic about where the biggest demands are. Some volunteers want the romantic jobs — making and/​or serving food — but the real help is needed in setting up the dining room, passing out plates and, yes, cleaning up. Sometimes, a new volunteer will «disappear» when the cleaning begins.
To get started as an individual (workplace groups occasionally roll in to help), you need to attend an orientation by Jenn, the volunteer coordinator (who is awesome, by the way). The orientations usually fall on a Saturday, last an hour or so, and involve 20 – 30 other volunteers. The do’s and dont’s of volunteering there are very important.
Jenn is very busy so she may not return your first message asking about volunteering. Be persistant, and she’ll get back to you.
One final thing: LBRM is Christian based. I’m agnostic, but the religious undertones don’t bother me. So if you have a beef with Christianity, this may not be the best place to volunteer! :-)
All in all, LBRM is a great place to volunteer.
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I had an opportunity to do volunteer work through my workplace (Our HR organizes periodical visits).
The kitchen was hot at times but felt good afterwards once you step outside.
I also carried around a pitcher of water in each hand squeezing through the tables filling empty cups as hands rise to indicate that they want more water.
So this is what it’s like to be a St Pauli Girl, or Shelley Long in Cheers. The brief thought was quickly chased away from my head as I didn’t want to imagine myself in a skirt doing this (I might like it? Huh, I don’t think so buddy).
This is my first volunteer experience inside the kitchen and I looked forward to it very much.
In short, I enjoyed it a lot and learned not to waste food needlessly as every bit counts at the mission (Still learning not to waste food though, shame on me).
The folks running the place were nice enough. The office folks had a businesslike aura about them (After all, someone’s got to run it right?).
The folks in the kitchen who trained us were patient. They were no nonsense human beings; I mean people, a very likable bunch.
They’re very organized and most impressively, they’re quick, very quick to prepare this, that, etc.