HOW YOU CAN HELP

Financial Support

Beyond Shelter relies on the contributions of private donors, corporations and foundations to help operate its programs and services. Below are suggestions of ways you can get involved and make a difference.

Send A Check or Donate Online
Your generous donation will help us continue our work of combating poverty and homelessness among families with children. We gratefully welcome all levels of donation, and every donation is fully tax-deductible to the extent of the law. Every dollar raised helps to end family homelessness.

Beyond Shelter Fund
In 1991, a generous anonymous donor endowed the Beyond Shelter Fund at the California Community Foundation. The income generated from this Fund helps support Beyond Shelter's annual operating expenses. For more information, call Beyond Shelter at (213) 252-0772 or the California Community Foundation at (213) 413-4130.

Contribute Assets
Beyond Shelter welcomes contributions of stock, real property and other assets to support our programs. Like cash donations, you can reduce your capital gains taxes by contributing through this method. Please call Beyond Shelter at (213) 252-0772 if you would like to support its work in this way.

Establish Planned Gifts
As you consider your estate, you can make a lasting contribution towards furthering the important work of Beyond Shelter, ending, preventing and combating family homelessness, by naming Beyond Shelter as a beneficiary in a will or bequest. Please call Beyond Shelter at (213) 252-0772 if you would like to support its work in this way.

Contribute to the Family Fund
The Beyond Shelter Family Fund was established to help homeless families pay for special needs, such as work uniforms, eye glasses, car repairs and other special items. By contributing to this fund, you can directly help families without other resources.

Holiday Toy Drive
Every year, Beyond Shelter coordinates a Holiday Toy Drive where we collect new and unwrapped toys, arrange them by gender and age-appropriateness, and distribute them unwrapped to the parents.  In this way, the presents can come from the parents and not from us. We rely entirely on donations to do this.

Adopt-A-Family
The Adopt-A-Family Program connects sponsors with families to "adopt" by providing them with a detailed family profile and wish list. Sponsors buy presents for their specific families and deliver them wrapped to Beyond Shelter. Case Managers then deliver the presents to the families in the week before Christmas. Through both the Adopt-A-Family Program and the Holiday Toy Drive, homeless families get a chance to celebrate something in the midst of what is probably the most difficult period of their lives. Just knowing that somebody cares for them makes a huge difference in their lives.

Below are some suggestions of items that will greatly benefit our families.

Basic Household Supplies
We help homeless families move out of shelters and into permanent affordable housing as quickly as possible. Once back in housing, each family is provided individualized support to help them rebuild their lives. When families moves into their new homes, it is often a struggle to obtain furniture and basic household supplies. To further support them in their transition from homelessness to housing, we collect the following items:

Pots & Pans
Dishes
Utensils
Furniture (especially beds & cribs)
Bed Linens
Towels
Microwaves
Appliances
Detergent and Cleaning Supplies
Vacuum Cleaners
Other Household Necessities

Infant Furnishings, Equipment & Supplies
Many of the families we serve have infants and are in critical need of the following items:

Diapers (all sizes)
Formula
Bottles
Blankets
Cribs & Crib Bedding
Strollers
Car Seats
Clothing
Baby Lotion & Wipes
Noise Makers & Soft Toys to Play With

Items for Children
All of the families we serve have children ages 0-18. We are continuously in need of items for the kids. Suggestions include:

Clothing (including school uniforms)
Books (for all ages)
Toys (stuffed animals, multicultural dolls, board games, educational toys)
Art supplies
Sports equipment (i.e. basketballs, soccer balls, footballs)
Backpacks & School Supplies
Music & DVDs
Video Games

Professional Clothing for Working Mothers
Beyond Shelter's Employment Services Department helps primarily single mothers enrolled in Beyond Shelter's programs to find and maintain employment. Many of these jobseekers are in critical need of professional attire for job interviews and employment. All professional clothing should be  clean and in good-to-excellent condition. New clothing is preferred.

Thank you to the
Foundations and corporations  
that have supported our work!

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